I've Got a Secret
by Emeralddusk
Summary: The lives of a single family with a great secret to hide.
1. Chapter 1

Wizards of Waverly Place

I've got a secret

 **Part One: Day One**

 _The Russo's are a family of wizards who possess magical powers. Their only duty to the Wizard Council is to keep their secret powers from mortals who don't understand magic, for they would try to destroy the entire Wizard World, but even with unlimited abilities, this task is not as easy as it seems. This is a year in the life of the Russo's._

It was Saturday, October 2, 2010, and the Russo's were sitting in their loft about to start their day when Jerry came down stairs. "Ha guys, I just read the funniest joke in one of my magazines. Wanna here it?"

"No, Dad, I'm too busy learning these spells to listen to some stupid joke." Said Justin. "I'm going to the place where nobody'll find me."

"Where's that?" Asked Alex as she ate a muffin.

"Even if I told you you'd never find it!" Yelled Justin as he left.

"Okay, here it is, wha, ha, are those muffins? I love muffins!" Jerry said as he took a bite. "Ew, except for these kinds." He said as he put the muffin back in the basket.

Max then walked in. "Ha, where's Justin? He said that he'd lend me his target board to learn how to shoot. Oh, there it is." Said Max as he took the board and left. "See ya."

"Bye." Said Jerry as he poured an entire bottle of water into his mouth. "Lousy muffins."

Theresa entered. "Ha, everybody needs to leave so I can clean the house."

"Is this some sort of joke?" Asked Alex. "You never clean anything."

"Well, I decided that since everybody else has something special about them, like the wizard stuff, that I'd have something special about me."

"And that's cleaning?" Asked Jerry. "Anybody can do that." He then took a muffin wrapper and put it in the garbage.

"Better step up, Mom, Dad's moving in on your territory." Said Alex.

"Oh, everybody lives such a..."

"Ha, I realized that it's not a visit to the place where nobody'll find without my target that I spent three months painting down to the very speck. Where is it?" Asked Justin as a shot came out. "Oh." Said Justin as he sat down. "Well, I'm leaving, bye."

"Me too, see ya." Said Alex. "I'm going to see Mason."

"Who cares?" Asked Jerry.

"Why is there a half eaten muffin in the basket?" Asked Theresa.

"Ha, maybe your thing can be mystery solving. You can solve the mystery of why you can't coo, I mean of why there's half a bad, horrible, lousy tasting, muffin in the basket. Ooh, exciting, mystery." Said Jerry as he sat on the chair and it broke. "Oh! Sabotage! Theresa!"

"Jerry, forget it. I wish something exciting would happen, but it's always the same old, used up happenings.

It was then that Ross Geller, Kramer, and Fonzy came in. "Theresa, I think Monica and Richard are back together, and Chandler's still into her." Said Ross.

"Ha, I just got a new bike with my savings bonds and I'm going to test it out over a shark, tomorrow at noon." Said Fonzy.

"Jerry, I need some sandwiches to have a poker game to win Elaine's necklace back!" Yelled Kramer.

"He's not the right Jerry! This is Jerry, Russo." Said Theresa.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Said Kramer. "Ha, this is a nice house, I..."

"Get out!" Yelled Theresa.

"Ha, I'll help you with the necklace thing." Said Jerry.

"Jerry." Said Theresa.

"Ha, it's like fate, us having the same name, now, I have a purpose to live, to get that necklace. Bye, Theresa." Said Jerry as he put on his captain's hat.

"So, what do we do?" Asked Ross.

"Get out!" Yelled Theresa.

"Fine." Said Fonzy as he drove out on his motorcycle, which he didn't have before.

At the diner, Justin and Juliet were sitting at a table, and were drinking a soda from the same cup with two straws. "Wow, you realize how disgusting this is?" Asked Justin. "I mean, with the back wash, and the disease that lives in human saliva, we're literally drinking each other's infections through this soda, like cutting open our arms and putting them together..."

"Why do you have to ruin every romantic thing we do!" Demanded Juliet.

"Juliet, don't yell, the more people that notice us, the closer, they, get to the secret." Said Justin in a mysterious voice.

"Wait, who are, "they"?" Asked Juliet.

"You know, people who aren't wizards. They risk exposure of the secret, so they are outsiders." Explained Justin.

"I'm not a wizard, am I one of "them"?" Asked Juliet. Justin went on sipping the infected, disease ridden soda. "Justin?"

"Shh, I hear something." Said Justin. There was a faint yelling sound, at the tavern, a man was busting chairs on people. "Wow, that was close."

"Justin, that insane man is hurting people, go in there and stop him." Said Juliet.

"No way, I hate gettin' hit by chairs, hurts." Said Justin.

"Well, use mag..."

"No! Never use magic, and expose us, never!" Yelled Justin.

"Okay." Said Juliet. Chairs continued to brake in the background.

At the recording studio in Central Park, Alex and Mason were throwing popcorn at girls who were to self-conscious to eat. "Ha ha, isn't this fun?" Asked Alex.

"The best, we have the best time." Said Mason. "Ha, it's Susan Lucci! They must be shooting an episode of "All My Children." Said Mason.

"Well ya, who else would hire her." Said Alex laughing.

"True, ha, let's go over and see them."

"Ya, okay." Said Alex.

"We, are in a situation, of dire..." Started Susan.

"Ha, trust fall!" Yelled Alex as she fell backwards onto Susan, causing her to fall.

"Ah!" Yelled Susan as she fell. "I want this woman executed!"

"No, we can use this, Erica breaks her leg, left! And can't enter the dance contest, so Dixie has to put on a black wig to keep Erica's promise to Bianca! Young lady, how can I ever thank you?" Asked the producer.

"Cancel the, Days of our lives." Said Alex.

"I can't, but I will give you "Another World, and I'll throw in "The Bold and the Beautiful."

"Deal, come on, Mason."

"Okay, nice meeting you." Said Mason.

"Uh! Real life people." Raged Susan.

In the house, Max was rummaging through Jerry's closet. "What're all these magazines? He wondered as he flipped through them. "Sandwich weekly? What? Huh." Then he noticed an extension of the closet behind all of Jerry's shirts. "Hu, what's that?" He said as he moved further into the closet. As he moved along he noticed the air of the closet becoming gradually cooler. It went from warm to room temperature. Then it went to cool, to cold, to chilling. "Wow it's cold. Need a jacket to go in the stupid closet." Complained Max. He notices white flakes appearing on the floor, and an unusual light that illuminated the closet. "My gosh, house is on fire! In dad's closet! Ah!" But the light grew to show a golden light, such as a sunrise. He soon realized that the floor was crunching, and no longer a solid foor flooring, but that of snow covered grass. "Wow, I need to go in dad's closet more often." He was no longer in Jerry's closet of mysteries, he was in a winter forest, with white trees and powdered earth. Out of place in the forest, was a single lamp post, that shone a bright light from its ultra bright light. "Whoa, this is some closet. No wonder dad always wears the same shirts, he can never find any in this forest of storage." He continued on to the forest.

Meanwhile, Justin and Juliet were walking through the mall and talking seriously. "So, that dart board, three months of hard work, destroyed, by my stupid brother. I wish I were an only child, but then I'd have nobody to be superior to except my parents." Said Justin.

"Well, I had three hundred siblings, and they're all dead because I was the only vampire." Said Juliet.

"I forgot, only one vampire child is born a vampire, but do vampires usually have that many kids?"

"No, nobody understood it." Said Juliet. "My last sibling died in the year 964, she was 88. My parents had her when I was 17." Said Juliet.

"So you're 1,151 years old?" Asked Justin.

"Actually, I'm 17, but I have been for a long time." Said Juliet.

"Okay, so what do I do about that perfect dart board?" Asked Justin.

"Ha, you got at least three months to live, start another one. Ya know, if you became a vampire, you could live forever with me." Said Juliet.

"Forever, what would happen when the apocalypse came?"

"We'll live, just like the one in the year 1,000, but no non-vampire is supposed to know about that." Said Juliet.

"Ah, ha, hungry?" Asked Justin. "This place has really cheap food. Two specials, please."

"Here" Said the greasy waiter as he threw two greasy looking baskets on the table.

"Ew." Said Juliet.

"Here I got it." Said Justin as he used magic to turn the grease into a feast of turkey and ham. "To my love."

"Ha, where did all that food come from?" Asked some guy.

"What? This? We brought it from home in our, storage bags." Said Justin.

"Where are those bags!" Demanded the man in a crazy voice.

"We put them in my purse when we got the food here." Said Juliet.

"Wow, they must be really small." Said the guy.

"They sure are, and you can get them at any store, not around here or any place you might find them, so there's nothing supernatural about them, ha!" Yelled Justin.

"Okay man. Just wondering about all the food. Sorry I wasted your time." Said the man sadly as he walked away.

"That was too close." Said Justin. "If we weren't so clever and quick thinking, like Alex and, whoever it is she's with, that man would be half way into the wizard world by now, and Aslam would have my head in the Purity Fire, or whoever it would be. From now on we have to be sure only to use magic if it's absolutely necessary."

"Whatever, ha, this turkey is dry." Said Juliet.

"Oh, sorry." Said Justin as he waved his want and seven waiters came with carts containing trays with covers over their varieties of gravy boats and stuffings.

"Thank you." Said Juliet as she took one of the boats.

"Hoi!" Yelled the waiter who bore the tray.

At the restaurant, Alex and Mason were eating while a man busted chairs over people. "So, Justin thinks that magic is the most important thing in the world, and that exposing it would mean the equivalent of death." Said Alex.

"What a kill joy." Said Mason. "Well, if anybody found out about werewolves, we'd just tear his limbs off."

"That's what I'd do." Said Alex. "Too bad Justin can't live a real life like us."

"That's true, and how hard is it to hide magic from unsuspecting mortals?"

"Here's you food." Said the waiter as he threw their food on the table, sending most of it on the table.

"Great I'm starving!" Said Mason as he put his head in the bowl and ate up the food.

"Me to." Said Alex as she put her head in the bowl and ate the food.

"Weirdos." Said the man as he continued busting chairs on people.

Back at the house, Theresa was working on some new, dangerous recipe. "Okay, add three tea spoons of rocket fuel, ya."

"Ha, Mom, I..." Started Justin.

"Shh, Justin, this recipe, is very delicate, even the slightest noise could set it off."

"Wow, doesn't your mom have such an exciting life." Said Juliet sarcastically.

"Was that a serious comment?" Asked Theresa.

"No."

"Drat!" Yelled Theresa.

"Hii, Mo..." Started Alex as the dish exploded.

"Oh." Said Theresa as she wiped the food off her eyes. "Where's Jerry and Max?"

"Who cares?" Asked Mason as he licked food off the floor.

"Ugh." Said Justin as he sat on a lot of food and slid on the floor.

"Ouch." Said Juliet as she licked a cut on her arm.

Meanwhile in the closet, Max had walked further into the woods, and was now in some odd, dead, gray ruin of a city. "I don't like this place!" He whined. "Why would Dad BUILD a world like this!" He yelled.

At Kramer's apartment, Jerry was in the middle of making sandwiches with leftover materials. "Okay, with all these condiments, they really look like real, edible sandwiches." Said Jerry.

"Great, ya know you're a lot better than that other Jerry." Said Kramer. "But Jerry, I got one more problem, I can't play poker."

"Oh boy." Said Jerry.

 _Will Alex and Mason easily hide their wizard and werewolf identities from the public? Will Justin join Juliet in being a vampire without exposing magic to the mortals? What will Max find in Jerry's magical closet? Will Jerry and Kramer win back Elaine's necklace? Will Theresa learn to cook, I mean get an exciting life? You'll find out if you read the other 364 days, of the year in the life of the Russo's, in, "_ I've got a secret _."_


	2. Chapter 2

Wizards of Waverly Place

I've got a secret

 **Part Two: Day Two**

 _It was Sunday, October 3, 2010, and this is day two of a year of the life of the Russo's. The Russo's were about to sit down to breakfast, and all had big plans for today to resolve, or stop, their problems from happening, except for Max that is._

Jerry had just walked into the loft/kitchen. "Ha, anybody seen Max? I found his coat in my closet, and he wasn't there."

"Well, did you look everywhere in the closet?" Asked Theresa.

"Theresa, how many places in a closet can somebody hide in? It's not like there's an entire world in that closet, there's like, ten square feet in there. I can't even fit in that thing, let alone hide in it with nobody finding me." Said Jerry.

"Ha, there's no food in that closet, he'll be out in less than three weeks." Said Alex.

"What if he dies in there?" Asked Justin.

"Will you all shut up about Max!" Yelled Jerry.

"You're the one who brought him up." Argued Theresa.

"Ha, I'm taking a professional poker class to win back that necklace, I feel it happening, I really do." Said Jerry.

"Jerry, why are you helping somebody, you don't even know, win a necklace back, for somebody else you don't even know their name?"

"I don't know the guy's name either." Added Jerry as he took three pancakes, some sausage, bacon, and poured syrup all over it, and threw it into his back pack. "Goin' to my class, ta."

"Bye." Said everybody, not caring.

"Ha, Juliet and I are going to a film shooting today. It's one of those movies that only comes out in big cities that nobody hears about, but it's still cool!" Yelled Justin.

"Well, Mason and I are going to an archery class to learn to shoot out people's tires with arrows." Said Alex. "So you better watch out mom, for your tires could be next."

"Ah!" Yelled Theresa.

"What's your problem?" Asked Justin as he focused on what coat to wear.

"You guys live such, extraordinary lives, and I'm the most boring person in the world. I can't even make a special kind of recipe for my family." Sulked Theresa as she sank under the table.

"She's out! Let's go before she comes back!" Yelled Alex as she ran and tripped on the couch.

"Go, there's nothing anybody can do to help me from my life of monotony now." Whined Theresa.

"And even if we could, see ya." Said Alex as her and he bruised arm left.

"Mom, I know one day, you'll find purpose in your life, find a way to help people, and I believe in you. Bye." Said Justin as he walked out of the room.

From outside, one could hear muffled laughter. "Oh, I wonder where Max is now. Maybe he could make some problems for me to solve, but I am pretty busy working on helping other people and finding purpose in my life. Eh, Jerry can do it." Said Theresa as she lit up a cigarette.

In the mystery closet, Max was wandering in the dead gray city, which he stayed in. He stayed in an ash filled room, and slept on a bed of cinders. "Wow, those cinders are bad for your back. Ha, that's why people don't sleep on them. I understand it all now! Ha ha." Said Max as he continued on. "Wow, Dad's closet sure has big cities in it. And skies, and clouds. Wonder why dad never talked about his closet. If I had a closet like this, I'd tell people about it, so they'd all envy me. That's what I'd do!" Yelled Max as he moved on.

At the archery ring, Alex and Mason were shooting arrows at targets, and doing it badly. "Ha!" Yelled Mason as he shot an arrow from its bow.

"Oh!" Groaned a man as he fell dead on the ground.

"Wow, this arrow thing is harder that it looks on the archery channel." Whined Alex.

"We'll never be able to shoot out car's tires at this rate. We need to take better, more intense lessons. So we can learn faster, and deflate the dreams of anybody with a car." Proclaimed Mason.

"Good indeed, and I like the tire metaphor." Said Alex. "But those lessons are really expensive. I mean, only celebrities and, bank robbers, and, super heroes can afford those advanced lessons. But we are wizards, and a werewolf, we should be able to get the money to afford those stupid lessons, and shoot out people's tires, and maybe later on, birds." Said Alex.

"That wasn't a metaphor, and couldn't we just use magic to blast the tires? I mean, it would take less work, thinking, and money." Said Mason.

"Mason, I guess people can use magic to shoot out people's tires, and maybe that passes in England, but here in, wherever, we don't take short cuts. It would be to easy, if we don't test ourselves, to solve problems without using magic, then we'll never amount to anything. So let's get out there, and find a way to make money!" Yelled Alex.

"Okay!" Yelled Mason as he shot another arrow. A man screamed.

At the studio, Justin and Juliet were watching the shooting of a low budget, low interest movie that didn't deserve to be put in real theaters, and only those in big cities where people only go to escape the police. That movie would go on to win the Oscar at the 83rd Academy Awards. "Wow, this movie sucks!" Yelled Justin. "I've never seen a cast of such no talent hacks, giving such shallow and vague performances that they couldn't compete with a school of, aspiring singers who have no talent, sing other singer's songs, and all seem to have parent who are celebrities."

"Justin, do you have to complain about everything that life han, bla!" Said Juliet as she was disgusted by the deplorable acting of Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter in that awful film in progress. "Wow, these people are, horrible. I could do a better job at acting out the life of King George the Sixth then those people, with me playing him!" Yelled Juliet.

"Boy, somebody should start a campaign to stop this film from being made. We should secretly film this shooting, show people how bad it is, then assemble an angry mob to come here and kill every actor and rip up all the sets." Suggested Justin.

"Couldn't we get arrested for that? And you said we should stay low profile to lower the chances of magic being exposed." Said Juliet.

"Juliet, sometimes something like this comes along, and a man must throw aside everything he stands for in order to protect what he believes in. This movie is awful." Said Justin as he cried.

"Okay, if you want to illegally film this movie, and risk us getting arrested, for the rest of our lives, which for me is forever, just to stop some movie that you don't like from getting made, then go ahead, but I want nothing to do with it." Said Juliet.

"Okay, but when this movie moves into local theaters, and you get forced to see it, by society who has taste for movies, that don't appeal to real people, but look for aspects in films, such as what, art? And you hate it, and are rejected by everybody you love, you're going to wish you had helped me now when I suggested it, right now!" Said Justin.

"Everybody I love? Even you?" Asked Juliet as she laughed.

"Ya, even me. So, will you help me, Juliet?"

"Fine, if it keeps me from a life of rejection, and hatred for not appreciating lousy media styles, then I'll help you shut down this production." Said Juliet.

"Great, then hold the camera, anybody sees me holding it I'll get shut away for the rest of my life." Said Justin as he lit up a cigar.

"Thanks for your concern you jerk." Said Juliet as she hit him with the camera.

"Ha, I'm the one who saved your life from eternal solitude and loneliness. Wow my head hurts, better use magic to fix it." Said Justin as he used magic on his head in there was a loud banging sound. "Ow! At least now it's magical, healing pain, instead of that filthy, mortal pain, 'cept you're a vampire."

"Just shut up, your voice is blocking out the dialog." Said Juliet. "Ugh."

At the poker class, or Kramer's house, they were reading a manual about the key aspects of poker. "Wow, who knew that there are, fifty-two cards in a poker deck, every deck!" Exclaimed Jerry. "We could use a lot from that alone.

"Ya, ha, did you know, that if you have any five cards in your hand, and they all have the same picture on them, that counts for something?" Asked Kramer.

"Wow, so you could win with all, hearts, diamonds, clovers, and pointy leaves. That necklace is gonna be ours in no time." Said Jerry. "Just wondering, how did you lose your friends necklace in the first place?"

"They won Jerry's CD changer, and I wasn't ready to lose that. Plus he'd probably have to pay for it, and nobody lends me money anymore. So I bet the necklace, and I lost."

"Oh, I see."

"Ya, ha after this, I need you help on how to get Jerry's CD changer back."

"Uh, okay." Said Jerry as he read the manual. "Ha, did you know an ace could be a one, or an eleven?"

"No way!" Yelled Kramer.

"Ya, it is."

"Oh."

In the mystery closet, Max had been walking for a long time, and he came to a large structure that looked like a large courthouse. "Wow, look at that. I bet that's where dad keeps his special band T-shirts that he doesn't want mom to throw away. She'd never look here." He went into the courthouse, but the only shirts he found were old, worn shirts that were completely covered in blood, where as Jerry's shirts only had a few drops of blood on them. "Wow, where am I?"

At the house, Theresa was sitting down to dinner, and nobody was there. "I knew it, the family is so disgraced by my boringness that they've abandoned me, first Max, now the rest. Oh." Said Theresa as she fell into her bowl of bland soup.

 _Will Justin shut down the horrible movie? Will Alex and Mason raise the money for advanced archery classes to shoot out tires? What will Max find in the magical courthouse? Will Jerry and Kramer ever get the necklace back? And if they do will they get Jerry's CD changer back to? Will Theresa ever find her place in life? You'll find out if you read the other 363 days in the year in the life of the Russo's, "_ I've got a secret. _"_


	3. Chapter 3

Wizards of Waverly Place

I've got a secret

 **Part Three: Day Three**

 _It was Monday, October 4, 2010, and this is day three of a year in the life of the Russo's. The Russo's were preparing to leave for their days of school and lack of work, but all had other things on their minds._

Theresa was working at the stove when Jerry and the others came down. "Oh, you've come back!" Yelled Theresa as she ran to embrace them.

"Gross get off me!" Yelled Alex as she pulled away from her. "What do you mean 'came back'? We've been here all night."

"You didn't come home for dinner, I thought you all ran away because I was so boring."

"No, we just had other things to do." Said Jerry. "That's one thing you gotta understand about interesting people. Sometimes they have duties that are so important that they have to set their families aside, in order to accomplish their goals."

"Oh, well I'll show you all, today I'm going to find something to give my life purpose, and I'll be so busy with that, that I'll neglect all of you for my duties. Theresa Russo is no longer a potted plant, she's a real person, you'll all see!"

"Sure mom, we believe in you." Said Justin dully. "Mom, you're not meant to be an interesting person, you like all that stuff like, cooking, cleaning, things that have to get done, but nobody notices when people do them. Mom, why don't you help me with my pursuits?"

"What, to get that stupid movie shut down?" Asked Alex.

"How did you know about that?"

"It was in your news letter. I don't usually read it, but I figured that since you know it never gets read, that you would put things in it that you don't want anybody to find out."

"Well, if anybody were to find out about my pursuits then I could get arrested for piracy of a film in progress, leading a conspiracy, and causing riot of the people. Which is exactly why I had Juliet do all the shooting. So what do you say mom?"

"What if we wanted to help?" Asked Jerry.

"Don't you have a necklace to get back?" Asked Justin.

"You do read my newsletter. Wait I don't have one. But that is true, until that necklace is in our possession, I can't focus on anything, and to think, this never would've happened if I hadn't had the same name of that guys neighbor."

"I wish I had a name of some crazy person's neighbor." Complained Theresa.

"You guys wouldn't be able to handle the intense work that is involved in taking down some awful movie. It will require hours of secret meetings, pre-planning, materials, intercepting the operation, guns, it's intense."

"Maybe the movie is so bad they won't have any security at all." Suggested Jerry.

"Ha, you might be right. So, my mob has, only me and Juliet, and, okay, will you guys please help me?" Pleaded Justin.

"Sorry, I'm just not cut to take down a movie." Said Alex sarcastically.

"I was mostly talking to mom."

"Sorry Justin, I need my own thing. Maybe I could help somebody find their long lost child, and make a movie about it."

"They do that, I'LL shut it down." Said Jerry.

"Ha, the bus is here and I'm going to blow out its tires with these sharp rocks. Pretty soon I'll be able to use arrows to shoot them out from 500 feet. Mason and I can make the money, I know it. We are a wizard and a were wolf. He's the werewolf and I'm the wizard."

"Ya, we know."

"You're a wizard!" Asked Jerry.

"Where is Max, he's been gone forever. Ha, maybe that's what I'll do, I'll find Max. Nobody try to stop me, this is it. My son goes missing, and now it's my duty to find him. See ya." Said Theresa as she headed to Jerry's closet.

"I hope they don't touch my magazines. There's three years worth of sandwich recipes in there." Said Jerry as he grabbed his cards off the counter. "By."

At the school, Justin and Juliet were in their senior class, while the teacher was yapping away about his insane political views and throwing erasers at people, Justin and Juliet were talking about their assault on the movie. "He went into the closet, and now he's missing, so mom's going to find him. I mean, where in a closet could he hide?"

"Well, it could be a magic closet." Suggested Juliet.

"Magic? Ya right. Now, what do we do to recruit people, people who we know will never tell the police about the destruction of this heinous film?"

"Justin, is it really that bad? I mean, what's the worst that could happen? It gets put in theaters, people waste money to see it, are dissatisfied and go on one of those personal review sites and make blogs that nobody's ever going to read?"

"No, it could be put into theaters, one of those insane people from the, the Asylum, sees it, submits it, and it ends up winning the Oscar, sending it into mass popularity, causing DVD sales to skyrocket, it becomes a huge symbol of pop culture, and you and I are rejected for hating it, because we're the only ones who know the truth!"

"I never thought of it that way. Ha, why don't we ask your mom? She'd never call the police on her favorite child."

"No, but she's too busy looking for my stupid brother, uh, whatever his name is!"

"Well, why don't we try to find Max, so we can get your mother to help us with the protest, another trivial, barely accomplishing step, to taking down this movie, which I don't hardly see posing any threat."

"I never thought of that. Fine, when we get home we'll, search dad's, magical closet. Anything to accomplish my goal, which doesn't even matter, as long as I do something that affects people all around the world."

"You mean, ah forget it." Said Juliet.

"Great, now, we'll need pitch forks, miner helmets, flashlights, oxygen tanks..."

"All this for looking in a closet?"

"What? Oh I forgot about that. We should take some time off what I was just planning to do that to get mom, who is looking for Max, so she can help us, uh, uh..."

"Take down that movie."

"Right! That's what we're doing. Ha, the teacher's burning the textbooks. Maybe I should ask him, he could burn the film reels, and he's so insane no police officer would charge people on his reports."

"I am not working with an insane man." Exclaimed Juliet.

"Fine, then you've got to be the burning person."

"I thought I was the filming person."

"That's already done. I'd do it, but I have to coordinate what everybody else has to do."

"Okay."

In Alex's classroom, Alex and Mason were ranting to each other about the money-making plan for the advanced archery school while the teachers were talking to each other. "What if we charged my mom to find Max? She probably hates looking for him. She thinks it's her purpose in life, but we all know her life has no purpose. We could charge Justin to, because if mom's not looking for Max, then she could join his stupid movie mob."

"Justin's making a movie?"

"No, he's trying to destroy one, he thinks it's going to win the Oscar."

"I was gonna see that, if it's the same one."

"It is."

"Bu..."

"It is."

"Okay."

"Ha, we could charge him to be in his mob."

"I thought we weren't good enough to be in his mob."

"He'll settle for anyone, all he has is mom, Juliet, and some crazy arsonist teacher."

"Alright. So we have to search for your brother in a closet?"

"Ya, when this is all done, there won't be an air filled tire within a hundred miles of this place. Are you in?"

"I'm in!"

Jerry and Kramer were at his house, on the phone. "Yes, Friday then, thank you. Alright, it's set. The big game's on Friday." Said Kramer.

"Alright, that necklace is as good as ours, then your friends. Wow, this is going to be a hollow reward."

"Everything we do is." Said Kramer.

That night, the group was talking about their plans to find Max. "Okay, since we have such tight schedules, we can't find Max until Thursday, but we need out pay, right now." Said Alex.

"Here." Said Theresa, Justin and Juliet as they handed them the money,

"And we will join your mob." Said Mason.

"Great. That movie is going down!"

"Where's your dad?" Asked Theresa.

"Emergency card meeting." Said Alex.

"Ah." Said everybody.

 _Will Alex and Mason find Max? Will the mob really take down the movie? Will Jerry win the necklace? Will Theresa ever find purpose in her life? You'll find out if you read the other 363 days in the year in the life of the Russo's, "_ I've got a secret. _"_


	4. Chapter 4

Wizards of Waverly Place

I've got a secret

 **Part Four: Day Four**

 _It was Tuesday, October 5, 2010, and the Russo's were in the loft drawing out a plan for their procedure in finding Max, and assembling Justin's mob. Alex and Mason were more focused on making money for the archery class from all this, and Theresa wasn't focused on anything._

Okay, so we have to wait until Thursday 'till we find Max?" Asked Theresa.

"No mom, what you really mean is, we only have until Thursday that we don't have to deal with Max, don't you mom?" Inquired Justin.

"No, when Max comes back, I am going to solve all the problems that he causes, for that is the real reason for my life."

"That's what you said about finding him, now Alex and Mason are doing that. When Max comes back they'll probably solve his problems themselves to, and you'll be back to being worthless." Said Justin.

"For the right price we will." Said Mason.

"No, nobody solves any problems that are caused by Max, that's my job. I won't have it."

"Okay, we won't solve any problems, but it'll cost ya." Said Alex.

"Oh how much?"

"I don't believe this." Said Juliet holding her head.

"We'll go on a problem to problem basis. Now Mason and me are headed to school to clean the halls, the janitor is paying us three dollars an hour to take over his job. It's more than he makes but he hates mopping."

"Kay, by." Said Theresa.

"So, you're really going to pay Alex to not solve problems for you?" Asked Justin.

"Ha, when it comes to my purpose in life, money is no object."

"Maybe your purpose in life is being a chump." Snapped Juliet.

"That would've been funny before I found my purpose in life, but now it's just pathetic." Said Theresa.

"Ya, come on Juliet, let's go talk to that burning guy."

"You said you weren't going to recruit crazy people. If you recruit that man then I'm out of the mob, and I'm a vampire, I'm worth about ten burning guys." Threatened Juliet.

"What if I brought him to counseling and rehabilitated him?"

"Why are you so obsessed with this guy?"

"Because he can burn things. A man who harnesses fire comes around once, maybe twice in a lifetime."

"Anybody can burn things. I bet yer mom burns food three times a day."

"Ha."

"And do you even know what harness means?"

"Ya, it's what people put on horses backs when they ride them." Said Justin.

"Ya." Said Juliet as she left with Justin.

In Jerry's magical closet, Max had waited for days to explore the courthouse, but decided to sleep and stay in the same place for a while to be prudent, for people who partake in everything they desire never amount to anything. "Okay, here we go." Said Max pumping his arms and going through one of the entrance ways into a large room with a huge, empty fountain that must have been seven feet deep and fifty feet long. "Whoa, this must be like a bathtub for a giant. You'd need all the water in the oceans on the earth to fill that thing. Ha look, another room!" After walking for three hours, Max arrived in an empty room that just lead to a wall. "Oh, what do I do now?" Whined Max as he sank on to the ground and sat there.

At the school, Alex and Mason were mopping the floors of the hallway when the principal, Mr. Laritate walked up. "Hey buckaroos, what the heyll are you doing?"

"We're cleaning the halls for money to go to archery classes." Answered Mason.

"Well we can't have non-authorized janitors cleaning our hallways. You'll have to take the proper classes to become the new janitors."

"What are those?" Asked Alex.

"You go to the civic center down town and mop there for a half hour tonight. Then you get your licenses and can legally clean these halls. You'll get a set yearly pay, with chances of but unlikely opportunities for advancements."

"If we do that can we collect our salary on our first day before doing any work?" Asked Alex.

"Of course."

"We'll do it!" Yelled Mason.

"Great, take this card and show up tonight. If nobody's there, they keep licenses in the filling cabinets."

"Is that how you got your license Mr. Laritate?" Asked Mason.

"I'm not saying yes, but yes. Have a nice day." Said Mr. Laritate as the morning bell rang, and he grabbed his bags and headed home.

"This is great. Now we don't have to look for Max or join Justin's stupid mob." Said Alex.

"Hope he doesn't take it too hard."

In the classroom, the insane man had ceased his book burning to listen to Justin's offer. "It'll oppress the government to lead this country into a hoard of putrid art loving zombies, with us as the only survivors, so what do you say Mr..." The man remained silent.

"Will ya help us or not?" Demanded Juliet.

"'Kay, I'll do it. On one condition." Said the arsonist.

"Anything." Said Justin.

"I don't want anybody yelling at me or telling me what to do, and when this is all done, I want you to help me burn the biggest book in the world in Aspen."

"That's two things." Said Juliet.

"You've got a deal!"

"Great, see ya."

"By, oh, meet us at..." Started Justin.

"What to do." Interrupted the man.

"Sorry, by." Whispered Justin as he and Juliet left.

At Kramer's house, Jerry was sitting there, looking hard at the deck of cards. "Ha, what if we determined the probability of drawing a certain card, by the amount of cards left in the deck, we'd be statistically more probable of winning the match."

"Wow, really?" Asked Kramer who had just entered and didn't hear what Jerry said.

"Na, I never understood probability or even knew what the word meant."

"Great." Said Kramer pretending to know what Jerry was talking about.

In the hall at Justin's locker, he was putting books in it when Alex came up to him. "Ah! I mean hi Alex."

"Justin, Mason and I decided, we can't join your stupid mob, we're sorry."

"What, you have to, we just made a major breakthrough in the mob, more people, the force is growing." Protested Justin.

"What, did you get that burning guy?"

"Eh sorta. But why?"

"We found a new source of profit, so helping you would be a waste of time. Sorry, it's how business works." Said Alex.

"Fine, when we shut down that movie, we'll keep the negative, so we can tape you to a chair, and force you to watch the only screening, ha ha."

"Ya, okay." Said Alex as she left.

"Was that Alex?" Asked Juliet as she walked up.

"Duh! She and Mason are out of the mob. Found some new business venture." Said Justin grumpily.

"They're out? Now it's just us and that fire guy. Maybe we should just call it quits." Suggested Juliet.

"No! Even if it was just you and the burning man, the lowest common denominators, there would still be a cause, you heard me, a cause, and that cause may bring in a few more people, not much, but it will cause a bigger cause, bringing in more and more, and then, we'll have that movie in the ground." Said Justin.

"Lowest common denominator?"

"Let's get out there!" Yelled Justin as he ran to no place in particular.

That night, Theresa was writing out all the problems she would be able to solve once Max was found, and how her purpose in life would finally be discovered. "Then I'll solve the problem of the sinking barge, by sending out the whale that was caught ashore. I'll go down in history! Ha ha."

"Mom, we can't find Max on Thursday." Said Alex as she entered.

"What, you have to! I made a list." Said Theresa signaling to her list.

"Sorry Mrs. Russo, we have decided to become full time janitors. Soon we'll be able to shoot out tires with such precision it will rivet the world." Stated Mason.

"Oh, fine, maybe Justin will do it." Said Theresa.

"Mom, Alex and Mason dropped out of the mob, now we have to spend more time finding new members. It'll take all of our attention and we won't be able to partake in any activity what so ever."

"Great, Justin when you have time can you go into the closet and find Max?" Asked Theresa.

"No, we need to find more mob members, won't you list..."

"Sorry Juliet, I was not listening." Said Theresa with a blank expression on her face.

"Mom, have you even gone into the closet since Max disappeared?" Asked Justin.

"No, no I haven't. I'll do it on Thursday, so I have time to finish my list."

"Great, got to get to the civic center, by." Said Alex as her and Mason gathered their mops and left.

"I need a drink." Said Theresa as she squeezed a sponge into her mouth.

"Yuck." Said Juliet.

 _Will Justin find members for his mob who aren't insane arsonists? Will Alex and Mason pass the rigorous janitor's exam? Will the card game go well without the use of card counting? Will Max ever make his way out of the empty room? What will Theresa find in Jerry's magic wardrobe? Will she ever find Max? You'll find out if you read the other 363 days in the year in the life of the Russo's, "_ I've got a secret. _"_


	5. Chapter 5

Wizards of Waverly Place

I've got a secret

 **Part Five: Day Five**

 _It was Wednesday, October 6, 2010, and each of the Russo's had a lot on their minds, for the unexpected turns that occurred yesterday. They were in their loft and were about to begin their days._

Theresa was about to enter Jerry's closet, for she had forgotten to do it last night, and then fell asleep, and she figured there was no time like the present, or the day after it. "Okay, wait, would Jerry be mad if I invaded his privacy, I mean this is his closet, he keeps all his things in here. What if he has things in here, secrets, that could change the entire way I think of him. He could live a whole other life that I don't even know about. Maybe there is no necklace, and it's just an excuse to go out, and when he gets to wherever he goes, he starts his other life, I have to go in that closet! But if there are no secrets or other identities, and he finds out then he might never trust me again, which might lead him to live another life, with a woman ha can trust. Oh, what do I do to keep Jerry close to me?"

"So Theresa, the big game is in two days, and thanks to me, that necklace will return to its rightful owner." Said Jerry who had been getting dressed on the bed.

"Oh, that's nice. Uh, Jerry, that shirt doesn't really go with those pants. Want me to get another one from your closet?"

"No! I mean this shirt, looks GREAT with these pants. I couldn't possibly wear another shirt, it'd be a travesty!"

"Oh, sorry." Said Theresa dully.

"Ah that's okay, you didn't know better. See ya downstairs." Said Jerry as he left.

"By, hu."

In the kitchen/loft, Juliet was sipping from a cup full of blood, when Justin walked down the stairs. "Juliet! I just finished a list of people who would be great for the mob! Take a look." Said Justin excitedly.

"Hmm, burning guy doesn't have anybody telling him what to do." Muttered Juliet as she took the list from Justin's hands. "Uh, Justin, this list is ridiculous, these people would never join your mob, and most of them are just people who played mob people in movies. James Caan, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Marlon Brando."

"They were? They're going to make great additions to our mob!" Said Justin. "And it doesn't matter how famous they are. When they see this footage we have, they'll be chomping at the bit to get into our mob."

"Are you serious?"

"You wanna bet?" Asked Justin loudly.

"Ya, I bet a hundred dollars that not one person on this list joins your mob. And if they do, which they won't, I will pay you a hundred dollars for every person on this list who does join your mob." Suggested Juliet.

"Justin, I wish to rejoin your mob." Said Mason as he walked in.

"Fine." Said Juliet as she handed Justin a hundred dollar bill as he crossed Mason off his list. "Why the sudden change in mind?"

"Because, this janitor thing is nice, but I feel being in a real American mob, and not just playing on in a movie, will give me a greater sense of satisfaction then mopping up school hallways." Said Mason.

"Great, here's thirty dollars." Said Justin as he gave Mason three of the ten $10 bills that Juliet gave him.

"Thank you, and now I must withdraw from the mob." Said Mason.

"What! Did Alex put you up to this!" Demanded Justin.

"I'm not saying yes, but yes. See ya."

"There, now give me that hundred dollars back!" Demanded Juliet.

"Ya, the deal was someone joins the mob, which he did, if it had been that somebody joins the mob, and stays in for at least twenty seconds, then you would have your hundred dollars, but now, I do. Well seventy."

Alex then walked in. "Ha Justin, how's that mob going for ya?" She asked sarcastically.

"Alex, how could you do this to me? You cost me a hundred dollars!" Yelled Juliet.

"And you hypothetically cost me thirty dollars." Said Justin in an equally angry voice.

"Thirty, I didn't think he'd get any more than fifteen, hu."

"Well, we and the mob are going to have nothing more to do with you and Mason." Said Justin very seriously.

"I'm sorry, on the contrary, I, would like to join your mob Justin." Said Alex in an apologetic voice.

"Really? Great! Pay up Juliet!"

"Okay, but I'm telling you..."

"This is splendid, Juliet, give her thirty dollars." Said Justin.

"Justin, I'm sa-"

"No ,forty, she's higher on the list. I'd do it, but I don't make mistakes twice." Said Justin.

"Fine, here Alex, but I must reque-" Started Juliet.

"Now, I must leave the mob, see you guys." Said Alex as she left.

"Ha, she conned us! I've never felt so betrayed!" Yelled Justin as he counted his money and marked it with a special counterfeit pen.

"Justin! I need your help!" Yelled Theresa running from upstairs.

"Sorry, I'm much to busy to help anybody now." Said Justin looking at the list and not at her.

"Fine, Justin, I will join your mob."

"No!" Yelled Juliet.

"Yes! Now pay up." Said Justin with his hand out.

"Fine, here." Said Juliet as she paid Justin.

"Now what was it mom?"

"Uh, I believe Alex and Mason got payment, ranging from thirty to forty dollars for joining your mob." Said Theresa.

Justin looked at Juliet. "Hu." Sighed Juliet as she handed Theresa forty dollars.

"Okay, so I was going to pre-inspect your father's closet before the big search tomorrow, but then it occurred to me..."

"Finally." Said Justin not paying attention.

"What if your father finds out that I went in his closet without his permission, then he'd never trust me again. But if I don't go in, there might be the chance that he lives a whole other life, and all the information about it is in that closet, and if I don't go in I'll be in the shadows for the whole thing, and there might be some evil force, that I'll walk unsuspectedly into when I go looking for Max. I'll be dead, and he'll never be found."

"Don't worry mom, if you die, then we'll just go in and find Max ourselves." Said Justin.

"But, how will you know I'm dead. I won't be able to tell you, and Max could be in there forever!"

"Ha, when Mr. Russo goes in to get some clothes for the next day, he'll see your dead carcass on the floor, come and scream it at us, then we'll give him some rum, calm him down, then go in search of Max." Said Juliet.

"Gee, this whole plan is coming together." Said Theresa sarcastically. "But I always lay out his clothes for a whole week, and I do it tonight. Max will have to survive a whole other week before he is found."

"This is difficult." Said Justin sarcastically. "When you go in tonight to get dad's clothes, look around for evil forces. Then you'll have an excuse to be in his closet." Suggested Justin.

"Okay, and if I die in the closet before I get out with Jerry's clothes, and he decides to just wait 'till I come back to change his clothes, and wear the same ones for as long as I take, then you'll know if I'm dead, if I'm not out by tonight at nine, and you go in to save Max, okay?" Asked Theresa.

"Okay, it's a deal." Said Justin.

"Great, I'd like to drop out of the mob, thank you." Said Theresa as she left.

"You're welcome." Said Justin.

At the school, Alex and Mason were proudly mopping the halls, wearing their official janitor's uniforms. "Wow, it sure is good luck that my dad lent us his old junior sewer maintenance suits." Said Mason. "We'll have those lessons in no time Alex."

"You bet we will, then we'll shoot out Justin's tires, Juliet's tires, and even the mail man's tires when he brings dad's online shopping orders. And it's partially thanks to Justin's stupid mob thing."

"Ya, maybe once we have taken the classes, we should give Justin a tip or two." Suggested Mason.

"Na, he won't appreciate it like we will."

"You're right."

Mr. Laritate then walked up. "Ms. Russo, you're brother just recruited me into his mob against some horrible movie threatening to destroy American culture. He even gave me twenty dollars."

"Ha!" Laughed Mason.

"If you two join Justin's mob, then I will double your pay."

"Well, we'll see." Said Alex.

"Good, see ya."

Justin then walked up. "Justin, we'll join your mob for two hundred dollars a week." Said Mason.

"Huh, I was just going to ask for one-fifty. Good job Mason! Oh." Said Alex.

"Sure, Mr. Laritate took three hundred a week, but this is great! Juliet, roll out eighty dollars." Said Justin.

"Fine, but I'm telling you..."

"Oh no, we're in it for the long run. I assure you." Said Alex.

"Great, see ya." Said Justin as he and Juliet left.

"Mr. Laritate, we're in." Announced Mason.

"Great, this week your pay will be doubled. See ya fellow mobsters, hi ho the trail ho..."

"Suckers." Said Alex as she shoved her mop in her locker.

At Kramer's house, he and Kramer were playing cards with each other when three men in fancy swayed suits walked in through the door with very serious looks on their faces. "Ha, I got somethin' to say to you'a." Said the man in front.

"Who are you?" Asked Kramer.

"They call me Pauly, but you can call me from the bank. Listen, I want this whole card operation on Friday shut down, or I'mma shut you down, you hear?"

"But, we have to play on Friday. We need that necklace back." Said Jerry.

"Well, you'd better forget it. I want this game called off by noon tomorrow, or you'll both find the heads of your best friends in your beds tomorrow night."

"You mean like a sleepover?" Asked Kramer in an excited voice.

"Ya, a sleepover in the graveyard, think about it." Said Pauly as he slammed the door behind him.

"Ooh." Said the both still in shock.

Still at school, Justin had just gotten a text message reply to his mob request. "Oh my gosh! Juliet, look at who just agreed to join my mob!" Demanded Justin.

"Hu! Oh my gosh!" Said Juliet.

At the house, Theresa was getting Jerry's clothing out for the following week, then she stopped and looked around. "Hu, look at this, just four walls and clothes, where could Max be, wait." Said Theresa as she pushed past the clothes on hangers, and moved further back in the same path that Max took. She moved back, and back, and still back. She came upon a natural white light, and an unusual coldness.

That night at nine thirty, Justin and Juliet were sitting waiting on the couch. Finally Justin said, "That's it. She's dead. We have to find Max!"

"Let's go!" Said Juliet as the two ran up the stairs to Jerry's magical closet.

 _What did Theresa find in Jerry's closet? Will Justin and Juliet follow and find Theresa and Max in the closet? What will the family find if Max has left the empty room, and entered into another magic room of the courthouse? Will Alex and Mason be able to assume rolls as both janitors and mob members? Will Jerry and Kramer call off the card game, or will they keep it on and risk losing their friend's heads? You'll find out if you read the other 363 days in the year in the life of the Russo's, "_ I've got a secret. _"_


	6. Chapter 6

Wizards of Waverly Place

I've got a secret

 **Part Six: Day Six**

 _It was Thursday, October 7, 2010. Theresa, Juliet and Justin were still in Jerry's closet when Alex walked down to breakfast, and Mason came in the door way to meet her. Jerry was also absent._

"Ha Mason!" Said Alex as she took a bagel."

"Hello Alex. Where's Justin, he called an emergency mob meeting this morning."

"Don't know, he must've gone into the closet to find Max. My mom never came down last night, so she must be dead."

"What could be in your dad's closet that's so dangerous it could hold and possibly kill a grown woman and a teenage boy?"

"Beats me. Maybe it's magical closet made from the wood of some tree from a magical world, and the closet is a port key into that world. That must be where Max, mom, Justin and Juliet are now. So I guess the meeting's cancelled."

"Ah, I was all geared up to start my mob life this morning. I even brought my father's lucky pocket knife." Said Mason pulling out the knife.

Jerry then walked in the house, shaking. "Hu hu, hu! Oh, hi, Alex, Justin."

"Dad, this is Mason. Justin went, somewhere you don't know about." Said Alex.

"Magic closet?"

"What!" Yelled the two in unison.

"Na I was kidding. Oh Alex, I'm in a real fix now. These mobsters are going to take the heads of me and Kramer's best friends if we don't call of the game."

"So that would be Kramer and the real Jerry's heads right?" Retorted Alex.

"That's right. But if we don't have that card game, then we'll never win Elaine's necklace back. I've never met her, but I would like to. She is the cause for me expounding all this effort. More than I've done in my whole life."

"This is like an episode of Seinfeld." Stated Mason.

"What's that?" Asked Alex.

"I'm not sure anymore." Said Mason confused.

"Alex, what do I do? I mean, either we don't get that necklace back, or we lose our best friends heads. Help me Alex! Then if you give me something stupid I'll ask Jus-Mason! Know what I'm just gonna call you Justin 'till he gets back." Said Jerry.

"It would be an honor Mr. Russo." Said Mason.

"Dad, just forget this whole stupid situation. I mean, you're working with somebody you didn't know before six days ago, to get a necklace back from people you have know relative idea of who they are, for somebody you've never, and will never meet, all because you happen to have the same name as this guys friend. How important is it?" Asked Alex.

"It isn't about the necklace or the people, it's about the purpose. Before I met this man my life had no meaning, but now I have a reason to go on. This necklace will only be returned with my assistance in the operation. Without my role in this task, I'm no better than your mother, spiraling at thousands of miles an hour on this blue planet with no idea of where I'm going, but not now. I know what I must do, thank you Alex. Here's thirty dollars."

"Thanks dad, need any more advice on your path of life, just come to me. For the right price I can lead you down this rigid road until your grave."

"Thanks Alex, that's very assuring. Now if you'll excuse me I have a game to call back on!" Yelled Jerry as he ran out the door.

"Wow Alex, that was a nice thing you did for your father. You're really becoming a passionate, caring person." Said Mason.

"Ya, 'sides if he dies I'll be the only person in this house. Come on, let's catch the good mob water before it becomes all brown and gross."

"Right behind you." Said Mason picking up his uniform and heading for the exit.

Inside the magical closet, Theresa was walking in the deep woods of the snowy forest. "Wow, this is some closet Jerry has. I can see how Max got lost in here. But where could he be? There must be miles of trees and snow here. If only Justin and Juliet were here to. Not Alex, she's useless. Hu."

Still in the open grassland of the forest, Justin and Juliet were walking in the snowy earth, shocked by this world within a closet. "Wow, this really is a magic closet. There could be a whole other world in here. With a whole other race of humans, just like us. Ha, maybe there are certain people who are werewolves and vampires like us. Hu, there are people exactly like us, a parallel universe Justin and Juliet. We could meet up with them, and pretend to be our counterpart, and go on a date with them to see how much we have in common." Said Juliet.

"Ha, what if there was a snow storm, and the snow got in dad's closet, then his clothes would get all wet. Oh, he'd regret ever investing in this magic closet in the first place. Wow, look at all this space. It could be plowed and you could use it for storage. Maybe I'll buy a magic closet." Said Justin.

"Justin, what if your mother's not dead, but she's somewhere in this massive world." Suggested Juliet.

"You mean, she might live? I might not be an orphan?"

"Orphan? What about your dad?"

"I'd rather not think of him. It's because of him that we're in this awful world. Ha, maybe my mom is in that forest of trees. Let's go in and see."

"No, a forest. There could be a lion or a bear in there just waiting to kill us."

"Ha, I'm sure dad inspected this place before he bought it. He wouldn't get a place with lions or bear in it."

"Justin, I don't think your dad knew this closet was magic when he bought it."

"Oh, you might be right, but probably not, besides, if we do come upon a bear, we're magically inclined, we'll just zap them to nothing, 'less they look like Mick Jagger."

"What are you saying..."

"Oh no, I called an emergency mob meeting this morning. Mason and Alex are probably worried sick about me." Said Justin in a worried voice.

At the school, Alex and Mason were vigorously mopping the hall as others walked by slipping and falling on the ground. "Wow, think of how life will be when we have those archery lessons. I mean, we can shoot out tires, we can enter archery world tournaments, make millions of dollars, star in a sequel to that horrible Robin Hood movie. We'll be so rich, then we can afford more archery lessons." Said Alex.

"Yes, and it's all thanks to Mr. Laritate giving us these janitor jobs. I wonder where the old janitor is now?"

"Probably at home living off unemployment from the government." Said Alex.

"Off our hard earned money."

"Phh." Said Alex as she continued to mop.

At Kramer's apartment, Kramer was pacing back and forth across his apartment when Jerry walked in. "Jerry! I'm so happy to see you!"

"Kramer, the game is back on tomorrow! We are getting that necklace if it's the last thing we do!" Yelled Jerry as he banged his fist on the table.

"It might be. Okay, see ya tomorrow."

"Yep, see ya." Said Jerry as he left. The door opened again and it was him. "Ha, I've always wanted to meet your friend, the one with the same name as me, uh..."

"Jerry."

"That's it, and since we're probably going to die tomorrow."

"Say no more, I'll call him and have him come over right before the game tomorrow." Said Kramer.

"Thanks, ha where does he live?"

"Right next door." Said Kramer as he pointed at the apartment right across from his.

"Hu, can't wait to see him."

"You'll love him, he's a comedian." Said Kramer.

"Is he funny?"

"No."

"Forget it." Said Jerry as he left.

That night at the house, nobody was home, and there was a knock at the door. It opened, and in walked Ray Liotta, and the laugh track cheered. "What was that!" He yelled as he fired off his gun at every point in the house. "Where is that guy? He said to meet him at seven, it's almost nine o'clock. I hate when people show up late. When he comes I'm going to kill him! Ya."

Alex then walked in the door. "Ha, you're Ray Liotta."

"Ya, are you Justin Russo?" Demanded Ray as he pointed the gun at Alex.

"No, I'm his sister. What are you doing here?"

"Your brother invited me here at seven to join his mob, and see how late it is? Oh I've never been so mad!"

"Wait, you actually agreed to join Justin's mob? You?"

"Ya, I heard this movie is the worst in the world, and I would never stand by and let a bad movie be made, it's just not me!"

"Ya, sure, ya know I loved you in Goodfellas." Said Alex.

"Everybody did, 'less they got mental conditions." Mason then entered. "Ha! Are you Justin Russo!" Demanded Ray as he pulled out his gun and shot four shots past Mason.

"I'm not Justin Russo, Mr. Liotta, I'm Alex's boyfriend, Mason. I as well am in his mob. He is rather late for his meeting."

"Ya!"

"Oh Mr. Liotta, please forgive Justin, I mean he's a nice person, a..." Started Alex.

"I don't care! When he comes here, I'm gonna kill him!" Yelled Ray.

Alex and Mason both stared at each other with scared expressions.

 _Is Juliet right and Theresa is still alive? If she is will Justin and Juliet find her in the woods? Will Theresa find the courthouse, and if so will she find Max? Will Jerry and Kramer win the necklace tomorrow? If they do will they get killed by the mob? Will Alex and Mason convince Ray, and if they can't what will happen to Justin and the mob? You'll find out if you read the other 363 days in the year in the life of the Russo's, "_ I've got a secret. _"_


	7. Chapter 7

Wizards of Waverly Place

I've got a secret

 **Part Seven: Day Seven**

 _It was Friday, October 8, 2010, and Alex and Mason were sitting in the loft thinking very hard. They were tense due to the face that Justin could come back any minute, and Ray would just out from behind some door and shoot him. They had to come up with a plan._

"Mason, what do we do? There's no way of finding Justin before he comes out of the closet, and there's no way of finding Ray. Whenever we follow him to his hiding place, he disappears. Mason, it's hopeless." Said Alex sadly.

"I think he's hiding behind that door there." Whispered Mason as the door closed slightly. "Alex, every time we've been in a sticky situation we always found a way out. Remember when I was a half man, half wolf, and you kept with me until Justin, found a way out, oh. Wonder where Justin is."

"Mason, if we could find Justin we wouldn't be in this mess. But, we always do make it through until Justin comes, so we should be able to do it this time."

"Well, why don't we start now, make one of our world famous ideas to get us out of a mess that we've gotten ourselves into. 'Cept this time it's Justin's fault and his problem and he's the one getting made, but, let's think."

"Right now? First thing in the morning?" Asked Alex.

"Well ya."

"We've never done one in the morning before."

"Ha, if you never have a first time, then you never have one any time." Said Mason.

"Kinda exciting. Okay, we should go to the place where we always come up with ideas."

"Great, let's go!" Yelled Mason as they ran to the door.

"See ya." Said Alex as she shoved the door into the wall.

"Oh!" Said Ray who was hiding behind the door.

Jerry walked down stairs. Alex, Alex? Where is she?"

Ray came out from behind the door. "Ha! Are you Justin Russo?" Demanded Ray as he pulled out his gun and pointed it at Jerry.

"Ha, yer Ray Liotta. I love you!"

"Enough small talk! I know yer Justin Russo! Now get ready to die!"

"Wait, I'm not Justin Russo. I'm his dad, Jerry."

"Got any I.D?" Asked Ray as he put his finger on the trigger.

"Ya, here." Said Jerry handing Ray his I.D.

"Oh, so you are. I always identify people by their . I mean, if I had, a picture of Justin Russo, and man looking just like him came in with an I.D stating he's otherwise, then I'd have to let him go."

"What if somebody got a fake I.D, then you'd be scammed out of killing him?" Asked Jerry.

"Please, I've seen some real low lives, but I have never seen a man who would lie about his I.D. See ya." Said Ray as he left.

"Weirdo. Boy is that Justin Russo in trouble." Said Jerry as he smoked a cigar.

At the school, Alex and Mason were mopping the halls while others slipped and fell on the floor as they talked to each other. "We need something. Something that Ray will never expect or be able to resist. If only we knew more about him. Like, some oddity that will enable us to fool him into letting Justin go." Said Alex.

"So you're saying, that we need to get to know Ray better in order to save Justin? We could ask him to lunch and have a conversation with him." Suggested Mason.

"I don't know. He knows Justin is my brother. He'd know we were up to something if we asked him to lunch. Besides, we can't afford it with the, ha! Once we have those arrow lessons we can shoot an arrow and kill Ray. But I don't think we have that kind of time before Justin comes back."

"Well, we could have Ray pay, and it's worth a try. What's the worst he could do if we ask him to lunch?"

"Guess you're right. Okay, we'd better get home before Ray leaves to load up on ammunition!"

"Okay, Mr. Laritate we're taking the rest of the day off." Said Mason as he handed him his mop.

"See ya!" Said Mr. Laritate as he began to mop and whistle.

At the house, Ray had just returned, with two shopping bags full of ammunition. "I hope Justin Russo isn't lactose intolerant, because he's gonna be cheese when I find him!" Yelled Ray.

Alex and Mason walked through the door. "Mr. Liotta, wow, that's a lot of bullets." Said Alex.

"Sure is, nothing but the best for Justin Russo."

"Um, Mr. Liotta, you look famished, why don't we take you to lunch?" Asked Mason.

"Well, I am pretty hungry from having to scan five credit cards, sure."

"Great, lunch is on you." Said Mason.

"It'd better be!" Yelled Ray in an angry voice.

"Okay." Said Alex. "When should we leave?"

"Just as soon as I put my ammo away."

"It's ten o'clock." Said Mason.

"Ha, Ray Liotta's lunch waits for no man!" Yelled Ray as he threw his ammunition in the garbage can. "Let's go!"

In the magical closet, Justin and Juliet had found Theresa's foot prints and were following them closely. "Wow, when we get back we have to tell your dad about this closet." Said Juliet.

"No! We can never tell anybody about this closet! The more people know about it, the more will want to destroy it. It has to be between the six of us." Said Justin.

"What, why would your dad want to destroy a closet with an entire forest in it that he could chop down and sell for lumber, oh my gosh, you're right! We have to keep this a secret."

"Duh, that's what I just said. Look, these prints are fresh, we must be getting closer to her. Come on!" Yelled Justin as he ran into a tree.

At the restaurant, Ray was eating three bread sticks at a time while Alex and Mason tried to penetrate the great noise of his chewing and communicate to him. "Uh, Mr. Liotta." Said Mason nervously. "Mr. Liotta, Mr. Liotta."

"Come in, Sergeant Liotta!" Yelled Alex.

"Go ahead, Colonel, oh, yes?" Said Ray who had finally stopped eating.

"Ray, tell us about yourself." Said Alex in a sickly sweet voice.

"Well, not much to tell. Love bread."

"Couldn't guess that." Said Alex sarcastically. Mason stepped on her foot. "Ow!"

"Sir, some people have things about them, habits, if you will."

"I won't." Said Ray, still eating.

"Okay, sir, is there something you do, all the time. You swear by it, and would never stop doing it?"

"Listen." Said Ray quietly. "You wanna talk, you meet me in the ally at Central and 3rd."

"No, I mean, is there something, that you would never stop trusting, that you always rely on?"

"Well, my father, he could get anything from anybody, and, I never look past an I.D. Whatever a person's I.D says, that's who they are, no exceptions!"

"That's very useful information." Said Mason.

"Ya, I'm a very useful kinda guy. I once snaked a head out of somebody's sink with only a plunger and my bear hands!" Yelled Ray as he grabbed another piece of bread from the basket.

"Would that've been this morning?" Asked Mason.

"Yep!"

"Uh!" Said Alex as she put a half-eaten piece of bread back into the basket.

In the closet, Theresa had long since left the forest and was now in the dingy city that Max had entered into six days ago. "Wow, this is a change on scenery. How can all this be in Jerry's closet? My closet can only hold four shirts and some shoes. Guess nobody's gotten this far into the closet to color this city. Unless, it's been here for thousands of years, the color's worn, and the people who specialize in coloring large cities within closets are all dead! Wait, maybe that's why I've been called here, to paint this dull city in the closet. It all makes sense now! Max may be gone, not my problem, Justin and Juliet will find him in a few days, while I rebuild this city, to its fullest majesty, of which nobody will ever see! Ha ha!" Yelled Theresa. "Oh, forgot my paints. Maybe Justin brought some."

That night at Kramer's apartment, the game was entering its most intense moment. Kramer and Jerry were eye to eye with their two other opponents, Newman and some other guy that Kramer had some way of knowing. The table was clothed by the lute anted up by the diligent players. Their minds on nothing but the game, it was sheer silence. "Mmm, these are some great sandwiches!" Said Newman with his mouth full.

"Thanks, I own a sandwich shop." Said Jerry.

"It's true. I've never been there but he told me." Said Kramer.

"I like him a lot better than that other Jerry." Said Newman.

"Everybody does." Said Kramer.

"We get back to the game please?" Asked the man with a very serious expression.

"Sure, I put in another thirty." Said Jerry.

"Forty my way." Said Kramer throwing in four chips.

"Oh man were broke." Said the man.

"Well, not yet." Said Newman as he pulled out the necklace.

"Hu! There it is." Said Jerry in an excited voice, not being able to take his eyes off the necklace.

"Newman, we cannot bet the necklace."

"It's all we have left." Said Newman as he threw the necklace atop the other items in the pot.

"Alright, winner take all!" Declared Kramer as twenty new cards were dealt out.

Cards were put in the discard pile, and drawn from the deck, and over and over until about four cards remained to the deck. "Alright Jerry, this is it. It's all up to you." Said Kramer nervously.

Jerry took his last turn in the game by picking up a card from the deck. He picked it up, turned it over, examined it, then with a solemn expression, he put one card from his hand back on the table. "Alright, show yer hands!" Yelled the man as he lay out his five cards. "Pair of two!"

"Ha! Pair of threes!" Yelled Kramer.

"Wow, that's a good hand." Said Newman. "Not as good as three Queens though!" He pridefully showed his hand.

"Hu!" Said Kramer and Jerry in unison. "Jerry, this is it. If you can't beat Newman that necklace will never be ours!"

"Alright fat boy, show those cards." Said Newman laughing.

"Alright, hu." Said Jerry as he put his cards on the table. "Four Aces, King high." Said Jerry in a casual voice.

"Hu!" Said Kramer smiling.

"No!" Yelled Newman as he collapsed on the table.

"Oh well." Said the man lighting a cigar.

"We did it!" Yelled Kramer.

"This is..." Started Jerry. A bullet went through the door. "What was that?"

A loud banging went on the door, then another, then the third brought the door down, revealing the two mobsters from before, and right behind them was their leader, Pauly. "Alright, nobody move, let's make this quick." Said Pauly as he pulled out his large gun.

"Ah!" Yelled Kramer as he ran and threw over the table. The mobsters began to shoot quickly. The table blocked the bullets. Newman began hyperventilating, and the man just went on smoking his cigar. "Jerry, we gotta get out of here." Said Kramer silently.

"Okay, follow my lead." Said Jerry as he picked up some change on the floor and threw it into the wall.

"Ha!" Yelled one of the mobsters as they turned and shot at the change over and over. While they did this Kramer and Jerry made their way out the door.

At the house, Justin and Juliet had just come back from the closet. "Come on!" Said Justin.

"Ha, my mom said never stay out too late in a closet, and I'm sure that goes double for this closet." Said Juliet.

"This is great, we can, ah!" Yelled Alex who had just walked in with Mason, both returning from their lunch. "What're you doing here, you're supposed to be in the closet."

"I know." Said Justin as he sat on the couch.

"Y, you can't be here!" Yelled Alex.

"Why?" Asked Juliet.

"Because Ray Liotta will be in any minute to kill you!" Yelled Mason.

"Ray's here? Oh I knew he's accept my mob request! Where is he?" Asked Justin as he jumped up and down.

"In the laundry room, cleaning his guns." Answered Alex.

"What?" Asked Justin.

"He was mad that you stood him up, now when he sees you he's going to kill you."

"Oh no, this is bad. So he doesn't want to be in the mob anymore?" Asked Justin.

"Forget the mob! When he comes, you'll be dead." Said Juliet.

"He'll probably kill you to." Said Mason as he and Alex watched T.V.

"Ah! Justin, what do we do?"

"Uh, hide in the broom closet!" Yelled Justin.

"Okay." Said Juliet as they ran into the closet and shut the door. "Ah, not magic."

"Shh."

Theresa then walked in. "Alex, you know where the paint is?"

"Third shelf."

"Thanks."

"Did you find Max Mrs. Russo?"

"Phh, Max. I'm painting a city." Said Theresa proudly.

"We're rootin' for ya, Mom." Said Alex not paying attention.

Kramer burst through the door. "Ah! You gotta hide us! The mob is on our tail!"

"Mob? What mob?" Asked Theresa.

"The mob wanted us to cancel our card game, we didn't and now they want to kill us!" Yelled Kramer.

"On the plus side, we got the necklace." Said Jerry holding the necklace.

"Go dad!" Yelled Alex.

"Jerry, you go out to play cards, and you come home with the mob?" Asked Theresa.

"Ya, I think we should let Kramer stay here 'till this all dies down." Said Jerry.

"Kay, he can take Max's room." Said Theresa.

"Where's Max?" Asked Jerry.

"Got any food?" Asked Kramer.

"Ya, hold on." Said Jerry as he opened the broom closet and threw his coat in.

"Ah!" Yelled Justin.

"Wha?" Said Jerry looking in.

"Shh." Said Justin.

"Hi Mr. Russo."

"Juliet." Said Jerry closing the closet.

"Who's that?" Asked Theresa.

"Justin, Juliet."

"Oh." Said Theresa slicing bread.

"Man, am I beat!" Yelled Ray who had just walked in.

"It's Ray Liotta." Said Theresa.

"You rock man!" Yelled Kramer.

"Thanks man. Uh, I'm so tired. Just take the broom closet tonight."

"No!" Yelled everybody.

"We, couldn't let our guest stay in the broom closet." Said Theresa.

"You can stay in the pantry." Said Jerry.

"Well thanks, but I can't possibly make it all the way there." Said Ray.

"I'll carry you." Said Theresa.

"Okay." Said Ray as he jumped into her arms.

"Uh!" Said Theresa.

"Night." Said Ray.

"Night." Said everybody.

 _Will Alex and Mason get Justin a fake I.D in time? Or will Ray make cheese out of them? How long will Justin and Juliet be able to stay in the broom closet? Will Jerry and Kramer be able to escape the mob, or will they be turned into cheese? Will Theresa paint the city, or will she be held up at the chiropractor? Will anybody ever find Max? Will anybody remember? You'll find out if you read the other 364 days, of the year in the life of the Russo's, in, "_ I've got a secret _."_


	8. Chapter 8

Wizards of Waverly Place

I've got a secret

 **Part Eight: Day Eight**

 _It was Saturday, October 9, 2010, day eight of a year in the life of the Russo's, and the Russo's got little sleep the night before, for the amount of people in their house, the food that they hit whenever they turned over, or the crowdedness of the broom closet they slept in. Everybody was also up do to the burden of their problems which had gotten much more complicated._

Theresa walked down the stairs to find Kramer sitting at the table drinking out of a coffee mug. "Excuse me, where did you get that coffee?"

"Oh, it's not really coffee. I took some beans from the pantry, put water on em' and microwaved it, whatever you would call that." Answered Kramer.

"We have a coffee machine, why didn't you use that?"

"I don't know how. Plus if I used it I'd probably have to clean it, that is if ya put the coffee in it or not."

"I always wanted to meet the man who was pre-occupying so much of my husband's time with that necklace. I'm done with that. Here, make some real coffee."

"Thanks." Said Kramer.

"You know, if you are going to live here we should get to know each other. I'm Jerry's wife."

"Great, does that come with a name?"

"Ya, I'm Theresa."

Alex then walked down the stairs. "Dad has been pacing in the halls all night. Is this mob thing for real, or is this some excuse for you to live here for free?" Asked Alex angrily.

"Ha it's for real. If you knew me you'd know that I never take anything for free." Said Kramer as he drank his hot, soggy beans.

"Mom!" Said Justin from the closet. "Can we have something to eat?"

"Ya, we haven't eaten since we went into Jerry's wardrobe three days ago." Said Juliet.

"Fine, here." Said Theresa as she threw the bean juice into the closet.

"Ah!" Yelled the two.

Jerry walked down the stairs. "Uh, what a night. That mob has really got me worried. What if they come here and kill all of us."

"Jerry, why would a mob want to kill you for having a card game?" Asked Theresa.

"I don't know. Ha, got any coffee?" Asked Jerry as he drank the juice. "Uh!" Said Jerry as he threw it into the closet.

"Ah!" Said the two.

Mason then walked into the loft/kitchen. "Alex, I hate to impose on your family. Why is it necessary that I stay here again?"

"We all have relations to Jerry. If the mob wants to kill him, they'll want to kill us." Said Alex.

"Okay, but, why is Justin's room full of lamps?" Asked Mason holding up a lamp. "He must have at least five of every kind of lamp."

"How's that coffee coming?" Asked Kramer.

"This is ridiculous. We've almost doubled the amount of people in this house. Shouldn't we call the police?" Asked Theresa.

"No! Call them and they'll find out about the illegal mob!" Said Justin from the closet.

"Quiet! Ray'll be here any minute!" Yelled Jerry.

"He's not even up yet." Said Juliet.

"Ya I know, I was just tired of listenin' to ya." Said Jerry.

"Hu, here he comes." Said Alex.

"He didn't touch any of the lamps did he?" Asked Justin.

"Uh!" Said Theresa as she closed the closet with her foot.

"Ah!" Said the two as the door hit them in the face.

"Uh! What a night. Somebody took my pillow while I was asleep." Said Ray.

"What pillow?" Asked Theresa.

"Oh, I found a pot of beans and used that." Said Ray. Kramer nearly spit out his juice. He threw the liquid into the closet.

"Ah!" Yelled two muffled voices.

"What was that?" Asked Ray.

"That was me, ah!" Yelled Jerry. "I get mad when I don't sleep well."

"Me to. Ah!" Yelled Ray.

"Ya, well, what's up for today Ray?" Asked Mason.

"Well, while I wait for Justin Russo to come back, I'm gonna put a silencer on my gun so the cops won't come running. I'm going for a fitting today. See ya." Said Ray as he left.

"Can we come out now?" Asked Juliet. "It's all cramped in here."

"Oh please. You're a closet wuss." Said Justin.

"I am not." Said Juliet. "How long do we have to hide from Ray?"

"Until we get fake for you and Juliet. The guy at the shop says it could take anywhere from three to, uh hu hu, weeks." Said Alex.

"Weeks?" Asked Juliet.

"Ha, this guy doesn't cut cheap on his ." Said Mason.

"Can't you just make the yourself?" Asked Justin.

"No, if Ray found out we made he'd kill all of us to. Waita be selfish, Justin." Said Alex.

"Well, just use magic to kill him." Whispered Justin.

"What!" Yelled Kramer. "Oh."

"No, murder is against wizard code. I wouldn't care but the wizard contest is just next May, so I'm not blowing it. But if you could wait until June, or so..."

"June!" Yelled Justin.

"We're not staying in this closet eight months." Said Juliet.

"Fine, wait for the ." Said Alex. "Now, what do we do next?"

"About what?" Asked Jerry.

"The mob, the archery lessons, the other mob."

"Well, we can stay her until the mob dies down, no one's stopping you from making money, the other mob..." Started Jerry.

"My mob! Now with me in hiding, you and Mason will have to lead the mob." Said Justin.

"Justin, we have a man wanting to murder us, living within fifty feet of us, and you're still worried about some stupid movie?" Asked Juliet.

"That's right. Compared to what that movie will do to our society, Ray killing us will look like a bad haircut." Said Justin.

"Alright, Alex, Mason out, Jerry and Kramer, you stay here, Justin and Juliet, closet, and me, back to the closet." Said Theresa as she took some paints.

"Closet, completely forgot about Max." Said Justin. "He's been in that closet for over a week. Who knows what's keeping him alive."

"You forgot your son in a closet?" Asked Kramer. "If I ever had a son I'd never leave him in a closet."

"If you had a son he'd have more to worry about than a closet." Said Juliet.

"Be nice to Mr. Kramer, he's a guest in the house." Said Mason.

"So am I, it evens out." Said Juliet.

"No, you're a captive." Said Alex.

"Sorry Mr. Kramer." Said Juliet.

"Whatever." Said Kramer smoking a cigar.

At the school, Alex and Mason were mopping the halls, with nobody to fall for it was Saturday. "Wow, we are so close to those archery lessons it's not even funny." Said Alex.

"Once we have those lessons, we won't ever have any problems ever again." Said Mason.

"No Mason we won't. We can just shoot an arrow into anything that we want. Even Ray."

"Excuse me, Ms. Russo." Said Mr. Laritate. "Where is your brother to discuss the mob meeting?"

"Well, Mr. Laritate, we are the new temporary heads of the mob while Justin goes into hiding." Said Alex. "So all of your questions will be directed at me."

"Okay, well, we need a new meeting place, so the police won't catch onto us."

"Ha, I know a magnificent warehouse we could go to. It's completely abandoned." Said Mason.

"Great, you are going to be great heads of this mob, see ya." Said Mr. L.

"Wow, we might just be better than Justin, and become the leaders forever." Said Alex.

"Well it we're the heads, then who's going to pay us for being in the mob?" Asked Mason.

"Oh, yer right. We'll charge Justin to stay in the mob, membership." Said Alex.

"I like it! Let's do it!" Yelled Mason.

"Okay!" Said Alex as she threw the mops into the locker and left.

In the closet, Theresa was painting the town vigorously, and it was looking like a rainbow city. "Wow, this paint goes on real smoothly. This is going to be the nicest town in the closet, and it's all thanks to me." Said Theresa.

"Ha." Said Kramer with a bag of chips.

"Kramer!" Yelled Theresa. "What are you doing in here. How did you find this place!"

"Well I was just looking for some socks and before I knew it, here I was! So what is this some sort of deluxe closet?"

"Uh, yes, this is the deluxe closet, only the richest people in the world can afford it. It has, forests, and, a city, which I painted."

"Wow, architects sure know how to spruce up a place." Said Kramer eating chips.

"Ya, ha can you look for my son. He's in here somewhere and I'm too busy with this to find him."

"Sure, what's his name?" Asked Kramer.

"His name is Max, and he likes bright lights and bouncy balls."

"Sure lady, I'll find you dog. See ya." Said Kramer as he left.

"Son, ah." Sighed Theresa.

In the house, Justin ran out of the closet, into the fridge, and fell on the floor. Then he got up and collected food from the fridge and went back to the closet.

At the ammunition store, Ray was purchasing bullets, and looking at large, double barrel guns. "Hmm, hu." Said Ray breathing out. "This is going to show that Justin Russo who's boss."

At the were house, all the mob members, Mr. Laritate, Alex and Mason were sitting around talking. "Okay, what we need is more members, powerful people who can take down this movie for good!" Yelled Alex. "We are going to show that arsonist that he answers to us, and that he comes to meeting when we tell him!"

"Ya!" Yelled Mr. Laritate.

"Now, do you know anybody who would be interested in joining the mob, but is reliable?" Asked Mason.

"Oh, some of the teachers would love to be in the mob. They hate all those artsy movies. I'll call them up." Said Mr. Laritate.

"Great, time to collect tuition." Said Alex.

"Okay, five hundred, one thousand, fifteen..."

At the house, Jerry was looking at the necklace. "Wow, I did this, all me, ha ha." Said Jerry.

 _Will Alex and Mason be able to keep the mob going and shut down the movie? Will Justin and Juliet avoid Ray until Alex gets the fake ? Will Jerry and Kramer be able to wait out the mob? Will Kramer be able to find Max? Will Theresa finish painting the city? You'll find out if you read the other 363 days in the year in the life of the Russo's, "_ I've got a secret. _"_


	9. Chapter 9

Wizards of Waverly Place

I've got a secret

 **Part Nine: Day Nine**

 _It was Sunday, October 10, 2010, and the Russo's were about to start their days. Everybody was still adjusting to their new life settings, but Alex and Mason were getting along just fine._

Justin was sitting at the table sipping coffee when Alex walked down the stairs. "Justin! What are you doing? Ray could come in here any second!"

"Ha, he never gets up before nine, it's only seven-thirty. I mean, I appreciate the concern, but I get the feeling that this is being manipulated to get me out of everybody's way." Said Justin.

"It is not!"

"And to get Juliet out of the way to."

"Okay, maybe it is. Where's Juliet?"

"In the shower. The only shower I've had in the past four days is splashing water on myself from the sink." Said Justin angrily.

"Uh, that must've been disturbing to watch." Said Alex disgustedly.

"Ya, I mean it was for me. Man, am I starving, all I had was some of that stupid bean juice. I mean, who can't use a coffee machine?"

"Ah! Ah!" Yelled Jerry as he banged the machine on the table. "I'm getting this coffee out of here if it kills me!"

"Ha, one less person in the house." Said Alex as she sipped some coffee.

"Justin! Ray could be in here any minute!" Yelled Jerry. "You'd better go back in the closet before he comes and kills you!"

"Dad, he knows." Said Alex.

"Oh."

"Jerry, what is Juliet doing out of the closet! And let alone in my shower! Doesn't she know that Ray could come in any minute with a knife and go all Psycho on her!" Yelled Theresa.

"Guys, we know that Ray always sleeps until nine every day, so it's no point in trying keep up held in that clos..." Started Justin.

"Stupid pantry!" Yelled Ray.

"Oh no! He's up!" Yelled Alex.

"Ah, ah!" Whined Theresa jumping up and down. "Jerry, what do we do?"

"Ah, ah, I don't know!" Yelled Jerry as he jumped up and down.

"Ah, ah!" Yelled Alex.

"You guys are nuts, Russo's don't panic like that." Said Justin.

"I'm comin' in!" Yelled Ray.

"Ah, ah!" Yelled Justin jumping up and down.

"What is happening!" Yelled Mason.

"Ray's coming!" Yelled Justin.

"And Juliet vacated the closet!" Yelled Jerry. "What if she never goes in, or Justin, ah ah!"

"Will you stop!" Yelled Mason. Everybody stopped jumping and panting. "Now, maybe if we solved problems quietly and logically, this family wouldn't get in stupid messes like this! Now, how long do you think we have before Ray comes out?"

"Well, probably about thirty seconds." Said Jerry. "I piled a ton of potatoes on his door, cause I don't want him in the house either."

"Okay, we need to get Juliet and Justin in the closet, quick!" Yelled Mason.

"I'll guard the door." Said Theresa.

"I'll get the coffee." Said Alex.

"I'll get the closet." Said Jerry.

"And I'll get Juliet." Said Mason.

"No way man, I'm gettin' Juliet!" Yelled Justin. "You get the tea and, strumpets, see ya." Said Justin as he ran up the stairs and fell down from about 2/3 of the way up.

"Ha, we got the mob working real well." Said Alex. "We got a new warehouse, everything, it's great. Making huge money off the membership fees."

"Membership!" Yelled Justin from upstairs.

"Ha, where's Kramer?" Asked Jerry.

"Beats me, sent him into the closet to get Max, and he never came back." Said Theresa.

"You sent him into the magical closet?" Asked Alex.

"Magical closet!" Yelled Jerry in surprise.

"Well, he has to learn some time." Said Mason putting a pack of tea into some water.

"Ra!" Yelled Ray as he busted the door open and knocked it and about forty bags of potatoes onto Theresa. "Some low life blockaded my door with potatoes! Must be an attempt to guard Justin Russo! When I find the person who did it, I'll kill them to!"

"Well, it was his girlfriend, Juliet!" Yelled Theresa from under the door and potatoes.

"Ya, here's her picture." Said Alex.

"Wow, she's beautiful." Said Ray looking at the picture.

"Tell me about it." Said Mason working on the tea.

"It will be a pleasure killing her!" Yelled Ray.

"Uh, ha!" Yelled Justin and Juliet as they began to come down stairs, say Ray and ran back up.

"What was that!" Yelled Ray.

"Uh, that was Mason, he always messes up on the simplest tasks such as making tea." Said Jerry. Mason turned around with a look of confusion of his face.

"Hu, hard to get good slaves this day." Said Ray sipping his tea. "I've gone through over fifteen slaves before I found a quality one to clean my toilets."

"I know, and the way they leave a coat of dust on everything!" Yelled Jerry.

"I know!" Yelled Ray laughing.

"What are you doing!" Yelled Theresa.

"So, Mr. Ray, have you gotten any leads on that pig Justin Russo?" Asked Alex. "That filthy low life sow deserves the biggest, fastest bullet delivered to the most sensitive part of his face leading right into his brain!"

"You said he was your brother." Said Ray.

"He is no brother of mine." Said Alex with an angry look on her face.

"Oh, kay." Said Ray.

"Well, I'd better get to that, place, with the, by Ray." Said Theresa as she ran away.

"Come back!" Yelled Jerry as he ran after her.

"Well, I'm gonna call the police to help me find that Justin Russo. With the entire New York department, he'll be in his grave by the end of this week." Said Ray as he slammed his cup on the table and left.

"Am I just your slave now?" Asked Mason angrily.

"Please Mason, once we have those lessons they'll all be our slaves. Just wait it out, and then enjoy it." Said Alex as she drank the coffee.

In the closet, Theresa was already painting the city when Jerry ran past the trees to her. "Theresa, what is this? There's this whole other world in my closet, and everybody knew it but me?"

"Well, we were gonna tell you, once we found Max." Said Theresa.

"What? Max is lost in here? For how long?"

"I don't know, nine days."

"Well, who's gonna find him?

"I sent Kramer to find him, but I haven't heard from him since he left, so I don't know."

"Oh, what are you doing?"

"Painting this dark city, it's pretty much my thing now. So ha!" Yelled Theresa.

"Oh, I'm gonna find Kramer, then I want this closet shut down to everybody but me!" Yelled Jerry.

"After I paint it right?" Asked Theresa.

"Well I'm not gonna paint it, and I'm not sure, since it's a magic closet, if it's gonna paint itself."

"Good, by." Said Theresa.

"Eh." Said Jerry as he left.

At the house, Justin and Juliet were sitting in the closet and talking seriously. "Man, now we can't even leave the house because the police are after us. This whole thing is going down the drain. All because I was late for some stupid meeting." Said Justin in a mad voice.

"Ha, if your mom never blockaded that closet with potatoes I wouldn't be stuck in here with you. I get the impression that your family is using this to keep us away from them." Said Juliet.

"How can I not be liked?" Asked Justin. "I'm so smart, I'm a natural at magic, I know everything about people and life, and I tell all my family all the time how much I know, and I know that people like to hear about my achievements, and that's one of the things I tell them I know!"

"Ya, you've got it all figured out." Said Juliet sarcastically. "You know, we have nothing to lose for saving our own lives. We can do pretty much anything to get ourselves out of this mess, and end up better than dead. What do you say?" Asked Juliet.

"Ya, I usually don't go against the rules, but this time, it's personal." Said Justin. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, here it is." Said Juliet as she began to whisper.

At the warehouse that night, Alex was standing at the podium with Mason in a room of nearly seventy people. "Okay, we've made almost three thousand dollars from these chumps, and we are half way to those lessons. Now, let's get them out of here."

"Attention!" Yelled Mason. "Anybody you know can be a useful addition to our mob, so I want you to go out now, and recruit them. And tell them all to bring their check books, because nobody gets in for free, not in this mob!" Yelled Mason.

"Ya!" Yelled everybody.

"Ya." Said Alex, eating chips.

In the closet, Justin and Juliet had been working their plan out for days, and were ready to set it into motion. "Ya, this plan is perfect. That man will be off our backs faster than he can say bludgeoned!" Said Juliet.

"Ya, and those will be the last words that he won't be able to finish, because we'll have killed him before he even realizes it!" Yelled Justin. "Juliet, we made this plan, us, together, and we are putting our lives back together, with each other." Said Justin as they closed their eyes and held each other's hands.

 _What is Justin and Juliet's plan to get rid of Ray, and will it work? How will Alex and Mason handle the large mob as it gets larger? Will Kramer find Max? Will Jerry find Kramer? Will Theresa finish painting the town, or will it really paint itself? You'll find out if you read the other 363 days in the year in the life of the Russo's, "_ I've got a secret. _"_


	10. Chapter 10

Wizards of Waverly Place

I've got a secret

 **Part Ten: Day Ten**

 _It was Monday, October 11, 2010, and the Russo's were all pre-occupied with the hardships that faced them. The group would have to do some serious thinking to solve their problems without magic, due to their non-magical house guests._

Alex had just walked down stairs and was starting some coffee when Justin opened the closet to talk to her. "Alex, it's been three days, when can we come out of this place?" He demanded.

"Don't worry, those should be done by the end of the month, hopefully." Stated Alex barely paying attention to Justin.

"Alex, I am not spending another day in this closet.!" Exclaimed Juliet. "Does Ray even know what we look like?"

"No, but if he asks who are you going to be? We've already got Alex, Jerry Theresa and Kramer covered."

"Kramer?" Asked Juliet.

"Well, I could be Max." Stated Justin.

"And I could be your sister, Katrina."

"Ha, Katrina, I like that, I'll be her." Said Alex.

"He already knows your Alex!" Yelled Justin.

"Shh, he's coming." Said Alex as she started to close the door.

"No!" Yelled Justin as he stopped the door, opened it, and he and Juliet walked out.

"Ha Alex." Said Ray as he sat down and drank out of the pot of coffee that hadn't been heating for more then thirty seconds. After a few seconds he spat it out in shock. "Who's he! Is he Justin Russo!" Demanded Ray as he pulled out his gun.

"Uh, I'm not Justin Russo, I'm his older brother, Max Russo." Proclaimed Justin.

"And I'm Katrina." Said Juliet.

"Uh." Groaned Alex.

"Older? How old are you? I heard Justin Russo is seventeen years old, you look about that." Stated Ray suspiciously.

"Ya, well it's a weird story. I was born July 9th, 1993, and Justin was born in November, three months later. Nobody understood it." Stated Justin.

"Hu, and why are you here?" Ray asked Juliet.

"Oh, I'm their sister." Said Juliet.

"Hmm!" Said Justin stepping on Juliet's foot.

"Aah!" Screamed Juliet.

"Well, you look the same age as him, how can that be?" Asked Ray.

"Ya, because I happen to be Justin Russo's twin sister, so I'm only three months younger than him."

"Hu, so you are the most close person to Justin I've ever met. Sorry to tell you this, missy, but I'm going to kill him!"

"Oh, that's okay, we're fraternal." Said Juliet drinking the unfinished coffee.

"Ha Alex, Jus...!" Started Theresa.

"Just, your oldest son Max, right mom?" Asked Juliet.

"Mom, what're you saying Ju..."

"Just, your oldest daughter Katrina." Said Alex as she winked at Theresa.

"Oh, 'kay, and I'm still Theresa, right?" Asked Theresa.

"Duh!" Said Juliet.

"Ha, ha! What're you doing here?" Jerry asked when he saw Justin and Juliet.

"What do you mean?" Asked Justin. "Aren't you happy to see your oldest son, Max? And your oldest daughter, Katrina?" Asked Justin winking.

"Oh, ya." Said Jerry.

"Where's Kramer?" Asked Theresa.

"Couldn't find him. Figured nothing too bad could happen in my closet, and if it did, nobody would ever find him." Stated Jerry.

"How odd it is, that you had twin, fraternal children three months after you had him." Stated Ray.

"Sure is." Said Theresa not even thinking.

"What's with all the screaming?" Asked Mason.

"Hi..." Started Ray.

"Our, son, Mason." Said Jerry.

"Why?" Asked Theresa. "Yes, our son, Mason.

"Wait, I thought you had three children, but you have five?" Asked Ray. "And he looks the same age as her?"

"Ya, he's my, twin brother. We love kids so much we can't have just one." Stated Alex. "Except for him, he was enough until the twins, Justin and Katrina."

"Okay, but this is all the people in the house, right?" Asked Ray.

"I found Max!" Yelled Kramer walking down the stairs. Max walked with him, and the laugh track cheered.

"What was that!" Yelled Ray as he pulled out his gun, and so did everybody else but Theresa.

"Ha, not guns in the house! Geese, let you all live here and ya turn into maniacs."

"Wait, hold on, he's Max, you said you were Max?" Asked Ray.

"Oh, I forgot, my name is, uh..." Started Justin.

"Ha Justin." Said Max.

"Justin!" Yelled Ray pointing his gun at him.

"Uh, I'm Justin, but not the one you're looking for." Said Justin.

"You have the same name as your brother?"

"Ya, he was born so fast, we didn't have time to come up with another name." Said Theresa.

"So, you have six children, two parents, then who is he?" Asked Ray signaling to Kramer.

"Oh, he's my friend, we met cause I have the same name as his best friend the mob wants to kill us for a card game we didn't cancel." Said Jerry.

"What?" Asked Max.

"We'll catch you up later." Said Theresa.

"So Ray, I know you wanna kill Justin Russo, not me Justin Russo, the other one, but even though you do, shouldn't we still operate his mob?"

"Justin!" Yelled Juliet.

"Why would I want to be in a mob started by one of my targets!" Demanded Ray.

"Well, you may not like him, but don't you agree with what he stands for?" Asked Mason.

"I guess so. Alright, I'll help you with this mob, and maybe Justin Russo will show up to find a huge group of people ready to kill him! Just let me get my bullets." Said Ray as he ran into the pantry.

"This is perfect, now we can go our entire lives and Ray will never know who Justin Russo is!" Yelled Justin. "What an idiot."

"Okay, but just how long are all these people going to be living in our house?" Asked Theresa.

"Well, the mob keeps Mason here, plus now everybody is related to us, and Kramer has the mob thing, so until Ray dies." Said Alex.

"Why can't you just make up some identity and move out?" Asked Juliet.

"No, I can't risk moving out forever." Said Kramer. "But maybe to go out sometimes."

"We've got this in the bag!" Yelled Mason. "Is that how that's used?"

"Uh, I think it's what people say when they bring their lunches." Said Juliet. "What am I saying?"

"When somebody lives around insanity too long they start to become insane." Said Justin.

"So, we don't have to live in the closet anymore do we?" Asked Justin.

"Uh!" Said everybody.

"Where are we going to stay?" Asked Juliet.

"Well, we have nine people and four bedrooms, so we need two and one fourth people in each room, or three in one." Said Jerry.

"Well, maybe we can keep Ray in the pantry." Said Alex.

"There's no maybe about it." Said Justin.

"Okay, so we need two people per room. So, I call Justin!" Yelled Jerry.

"Jerry!" Snapped Theresa.

"Sorry, he's the most intelligent person in the house, and he's awesome!" Yelled Jerry.

"Okay, what if we had, Theresa and Jerry, Alex and Juliet..." Started Theresa.

"I won't share a room with Kramer." Said Justin.

"Nobody will." Said Theresa gravely. "So that leaves Justin, Max and Mason."

"Alright!" Yelled Mason. "I've always wanted a roomie, because my parents ate all my siblings and left me."

"Okay, but there'd better be room in there, for my lamps!" Yelled Justin.

"I will not sleep in a room with Justin's lamps!" Yelled Max.

"You think you got it bad, I have to share a room with Juliet." Said Alex.

"Ha, ya I agree." Said Juliet.

"Now this whole mob thing, that's just a ploy right?" Asked Theresa.

"No, we are working to destroy this deplorable movie, and there is no earthly force that can stop us!" Yelled Justin. "Except for ghosts, but those aren't really earthly, so my statement stands."

"Well, I am out of this mob thing." Said Alex. "We already collected the tuition, so there's nothing more this can do for me."

"I have to agree with Alex, we already raised the money for those archery lessons, so we have that to work on. Our first lesson is in twenty minutes, see ya." Said Mason as he and Alex grabbed their bows and left the house.

"Okay, go, but you'll be sorry, you'll see, you'll all see!" Yelled Justin.

"Calm down Justin." Said Juliet. "Ha, how many people do you think Alex got to join the mob?"

"Who knows, we'll just have to see." Said Justin excitedly.

"Well, back to my painting." Said Theresa as she headed up to the closet.

"Back to my, oh." Said Jerry as he sat sadly on the couch.

"Ha, what about me?" Asked Max.

"Carry my bullets." Said Ray throwing his ammunition on Max.

"Oh!" Yelled Max as he fell on the ground.

At the archery course, Alex and Mason were shooting arrows, much better than they had at the old lessons, and a strange man came up to Mason and began to question him. "Ha, have you seen any people talking about, starting mobs? I'm not an undercover cop, I'm not!" Said the man.

"What if we have!" Demanded Alex.

"Well, police, and me don't normally bribe people, but I would pay through the nose to get information on this mob, if you could help me." Said the man.

"Alright." Said Alex as she dropped her bow and went with the cop.

"See ya Alex." Said Mason as he shot more arrows. A man screamed.

At the warehouse that night Justin, Juliet and Ray were sitting alone in the place with the exception of Mr. Laritate. "Where are all the mobsters that Alex assembled?" Asked Justin.

"Ya, I'm so mad I could just kill all of you!" Screamed Ray.

"Gotta go!" Yelled Juliet as she began to run but Justin stopped her.

"Oh, they found out about Alex leaving the mob, and weren't willing to work for strangers." Said Mr. Laritate. "I'd leave to if this man didn't have his gun jabbing into my ribs."

"That's right!" Said Ray in a violent voice.

In the closet, Theresa was painting a large building purple. "Da, da da da." Sang Theresa.

 _Will Alex really help the police and expose Justin? Will Ray ever find out that Justin Russo is really Justin Russo? Will the group assemble a real mob in time to stop the movie? Will Mason shoot out tires? Will Jerry and Kramer outwit the mob? Will Theresa finish painting the city? Will it need a second coat? Will Max ever find out what is going on? You'll find out if you read the other 363 days in the year in the life of the Russo's, "_ I've got a secret. _"_


	11. Chapter 11

Wizards of Waverly Place

I've got a secret

 **Part Eleven: Day Eleven**

 _It was Tuesday, October 12, 2010, and the Russo's had stopped concerning themselves with Ray and his guns for their clever ruses that drove him from hunting our Justin, and went on to hunting a fake, non-existent Justin with the same name. None the less, each person still had much, much to be worried about, each with his own situation._

Theresa was sitting in the kitchen sipping some coffee when Justin walked in with his hair in a mess and still in his night apparel. "Mom, I cannot deal with this anymore!" He exclaimed.

"What, can't find a comb? Justin that's nothing to get upset about. People who get upset about everything like you do have heart attacks by the age of 25. Not anybody that I've heard of, but I've seen it in movies. I have."

"...No, Mom, it's not about the comb, it's about having to share my room with Mason and Max, and it's driving me insane! Max stayed up half the night, struggling to understand what's going on with our family, and when he finally went to sleep he screamed in his sleep! And Mason is just as bad, he calls me, sir, and, Mr. Russo. I figured he was mocking me, so mad I stayed up all night. Mom, I'm almost, however old I almost am, I need my own room. At least a room with people other than these freaks!"

"Justin, we all have to make sacrifices to save ourselves from Ray. Now that he thinks everybody is related, we all have to live in the same house so he won't suspect that you are you. Oh, this is all for you, so don't complain about it! Want some coffee? I could use another cup."

"Na, I don't drink coffee, I heard it stunts your growth, and I don't want to be a short person, along with all the other garbage I have to deal with! So thanks mom, thanks for nothing! If you want to be a short person, then you go right ahead, but I will not take the abuses of bean beverages! Wow, am I tired, make some coffee." Said Justin pouring water into the empty pot.

"Ha, did you hear screaming last night around three? I think Max is having his night terrors again." Stated Alex.

"No, that was me, only I was screaming at real life after waking up from a dream. I, hate living with Max and Mason, they are the most annoying people on the planet, next to dad at least." Said Justin.

"Ha, you think Mason and Max are annoying...?" Started Alex.

"Ya, I do."

"As I was saying, Juliet is like, the annoyance of Mason and Max combined, magnified a million times fold, and is so great and present, that you can't help but thinking about anything, but her annoyance! I mean, she keeps all of her books and clothes, neatly in a dresser, sorted by type of clothes and color, and she actually puts them away after she washes and wears them, so she has nothing on her chairs. And, she has the nerve, to divide, my, room, in half. She, she wants a place for her bed, and, and some of the closet space for her things, and, she even wants me, to be quiet at night, so she can sleep. What kind of person is she? Certainly not the kind who gets invited to share bedrooms with people, I can tell you that." Said Alex as she drank hot water out of the coffee pot. "Ah! Hot!"

Mason then walked down the stairs. "Good morning Ms. Russo, Alex, Justin, how did you sleep roommate?"

"How, did I sleep, let me tell you, how I slept!" Yelled Justin.

"Okay, that's what I wanted to know." Said Mason.

"I slept, awful, because of the insults that were thrown at me, by people, who I kindly agree to share my room with!"

"What are you talking about? Did I do something to offend you, because if I did, I'm sorry." Said Mason.

"It's fine, we all have to stay calm in these hard times, so it's better if we all try to unite as a people." Said Justin trying to stay calm.

"Ha, what was that screaming last night?" Asked Max who seemed tired.

"I'll tell you what it was, it was my reaction, to the insane rantings, of the people who I am forced to live with!" Screamed Justin.

"Kay just wanted to know about the screaming." Said Max casually. "So where's Ray, I loved him in that movie, uh, Philadelphia."

"That was Tom Hanks, Ray was in Goodfellas." Said Alex.

"Tom Hanks, he's great! Why can't he want to kill me." Said Justin.

"Goodfellas I never saw it, was he in anything else?" Asked Max.

"No." Answered everyone.

"Ha, did you hear that screaming last night?" Asked Juliet who had just come downstairs and was brushing her hair.

"No, I couldn't hear anything over your obnoxious attitude!" Yelled Alex.

"Alex, what's wrong?" Asked Juliet.

"Ya, you seem to be awful on edge today, even for you." Said Alex.

"Maybe she has a warrant for her murder, I'd be on edge if somebody was paid to kill me, especially if they had a government authorized permit." Stated Mason.

"No it's not that, I, forget it I gotta go see ya." Said Alex as she left.

"Wow, that was weird, hope she's not doing anything that'll get all of us a lot of frustration." Said Justin.

"You and I both." Stated Mason.

"Ha, Ray's coming, where's Justin!" Yelled Jerry.

"Jerry, we got that covered, why do you keep worrying?" Asked Theresa.

"Because I don't want my favorite child to die. I just, can't deal with that. It'd be like, like, hu, hu hu." Said Jerry slowly, breathing heavy and holding back tears.

"...Okay." Said Justin who, along with the whole group was staring at him.

"Am I really that annoying?" Asked Juliet.

"No Juliet, Alex just doesn't understand you." Said Justin sympathetically.

"Juliet? I thought her name was Katrina!" Yelled Ray.

"Uh, uh, I, uuh." Said Juliet nervously.

"And how does she not understand you, you've been sisters for sixteen years." Said Ray.

"Well, it's because, Alex, was actually, one of uh, triplets, and they were, Alex, Mason, and Juliet, so that's why we mistake names sometimes." Said Justin. "And she just doesn't want to, accept, Katrina, because she is so upset at how her twin sister, was taken away from us." Said Justin with fake emotion.

"Th, that's so sad. So, you have, seven children, Justin, Katrina, Justin, Alex, Mason, Max, and Juliet, right?" Asked Ray.

"That's right!" Said Theresa swinging her arm.

"So, this is all your children right? There aren't anymore?" Asked Ray.

"Who knows, there might be some we forgot about, we'll tell you when we remember." Said Theresa.

"If, we remember." Corrected Jerry.

"But we love all of our siblings, whether we remember them or not." Stated Mason heartfully.

"Wait, Juliet's not our sister, we ju..." Started Max.

"Oh, he's just in denial, because we lost, Juliet, when he was just seven years old, he couldn't understand." Said Juliet.

"Oh Katrina." Said Justin as he went to hug her.

"Ah." Said Juliet as she hugged him.

"Ah." Said Mason as he hugged her to.

"Ah." Said Jerry, Max and Theresa as they joined in.

"Ah." Said the group.

"This is so touching. Moments like this are so sweet that it makes me want to stop killing and start a family of my own, but not until I kill Justin Russo!" Yelled Ray. "Have a nice day." Said Ray as he stormed out.

"Wow, fooling idiots like him, almost makes us like a family." Said Theresa.

"You mean it Mrs. Russo?" Asked Juliet.

"You really think of us as your children?" Asked Mason.

"You don't even think of Max as your child." Stated Justin.

"Somebody can't just be our son just because we give birth to them, they have to do something to earn it, and Mason and Juliet have, so they are now officially Russo's." Said Theresa.

"Ya!" Yelled Juliet.

"This will be much nicer than living in the woods eating dead game." Said Mason.

"What did Alex do to earn a place in the family?" Asked Justin.

"It's not what she did, it's what she didn't do, that earned her a place in our family." Said Jerry.

"And me, I did everything else." Said Justin.

"What do you mean?" Asked Juliet.

"I do everything, that's why I'm in the family." Said Justin.

"Who says?" Asked Theresa.

"What, I'm not in the family?" Asked Justin angrily. "But, I'm the most intelligent one, I succeed in everything I do, I'm a professional wizard, I'm a 5.0..."

"That's just it, no Russo has ever been that smart of successful, you just don't fit in." Said Jerry. "I'm sorry."

"I, but I, uh!" Groaned Justin as he stormed out.

"Oh." Said everybody.

"Ha, Justin just leave?" Asked Kramer.

"Ya." Answered Katrina.

"Good." Said Kramer.

At the police H.Q, Alex was in the interrogation room with the police sergeant, Sergeant de Havilland, and they were working on exposing Justin's mob. "What do you think, sergeant?" Asked Alex.

"I think once we find your brother's mob that you are going to be a very rich lady." Answered the sergeant.

"Great, I won't even need those lessons, I'll pay for others to take it and shoot out tires for me." Stated Alex excitedly.

"That's what I do. I tell ya, the only thing better than being rich, is being a cop, who doesn't have to obey the law or anything." Stated de Havilland.

"Wow, me, rich. Everybody will be proud of me, and I will be the envy of the family, and not Justin. Bwa ha ha ha, ah ha ha ha!" Laughed Alex evily.

"I know the feeling. My brother used to be the envy of the family, then I arrested him for a crime he didn't commit, so he couldn't do anything else to make my parents proud." Stated the cop.

"Ya, my brother has to keep a low profile so Ray Liotta won't know he's him, and not just his brother with the same name, and so the mob won't find my dad and kill him for not stopping his card game." Said Alex.

"...Wow, and I thought I was strange." Said the cop as he picked up a jar of flies and started for the door. "See ya."

In the magical closet, Jerry was painting the city with the many colors of paint. "Man, why do I have to paint the city, just because Max is back to cause problems for Theresa to solve? Just not fair." Complained Jerry. "Ha, this is fun, ha ha, wee! Ha, this is my closet, I can do whatever I want in here!" Yelled Jerry. After a long pause, he started painting again.

Theresa was sitting at the counter making tea, just waiting for some Max problems to come forth when Mason walked up. "Mrs. Russo, can I talk to you?"

"Hold on Mason, a problem involving Max could come up any minute, and I have to solve them, as my purpose in life, ah forget it what's up?"

"Well, I really like Alex, I do everything with her, obey all her commands, but she never seems impressed, and I want to know if she likes me to, what do I do?"

"Well Mason, Alex is a very closed person, she doesn't let anybody know what she's really like, and projects a tough atmosphere to earn respect. What you have to do is become her, you be the tough one and tell her what to do, then she'll open up, trust me."

"Thanks, Mrs. Russo, but I don't know how to be tough, my dad did all the hunting, and my mom protected the herd, so all I had to do was cook and prepare the meat, 'cause I was the only one with fingers." Stated Mason.

"I'll teach you to be tough, being a mother of wizards, and Mr. Russo's constant pre-occupation with his unusual plots, I have to take control a lot. So ya, I'll help ya." Said Theresa.

"Thank you Mrs. Russo." Said Mason.

"And enough with respecting everybody, not all people deserve respect, actually, hardly anybody does, so no more, Mr. and Mrs., always the first name, got it?"

"Yes ma', I mean, ah, I can't do this!"

"Come on!" Yelled Theresa as she slapped him.

"Ow!" Screamed Mason as he grabbed his face and fell on the floor.

"Get it together! Get back up, now, call me Theresa."

"Uh, uh..." Started Mason sweating and looking very nervous. "Oh, don't make me do this!" Yelled Mason as he began to cry.

"Pull it together! Come on! Now, if you don't try, you won't ever be respected by Alex, isn't that what you want?" Screamed Theresa.

"Yes, yes." Yelled Mason through his tears.

"Okay, now get up."

"Okay, uh, uh, hu hu!" Cried Mason as he fell on the floor again.

"Oh." Groaned Theresa as she put her hands on her face.

At the sporting store, Ray was at the checkout counter, and was making a large purchase. "Ya, three hundred packs of bullets, twenty hand guns, ten rifles, and throw in some semi-automatics for quick blows to my target! Plus, I want a tackle box, for my bullets, a pack of plastic bags for the body parts, and a silencer, but not to make the shots quieter, but to make them louder, and more horrifying!"

"Okay, that'll be..." Started the clerk.

"Here, just put it on these cards." Said Ray handing him the credit cards.

"Yessir." Said the clerk scanning his cards as about nine employees carried his purchases to his horse.

That night, Jerry was talking to Theresa while Juliet and Mason talked about how awful their friends are. "I tell ya, I should be a professional painter, it's fun, easy, and I think I have an eye for color, what do you think?"

"Na, I mean, maybe your painting skills are acceptable in your, magic closet world but not here in the real world, come on."

"Okay, maybe I'll paint the pipes in the basement, they really dull up the room."

"Ha, who wants to say hello to their favorite child?" Asked Alex happily.

"Who? I think that the running is now, two people harder!" Yelled Juliet.

"What, dad, them? Really?" Asked Alex.

"Ya, they did a great job of fooling Ray, all we need to do is pretend to miss your, other twin, Juliet." Said Theresa.

"What? Uh, this is so stupid, Mason, could you get me a glass of water please?" Asked Alex.

"No!" Yelled Mason.

"What?" Asked Alex. "I just wan..."

"I am not going to be bossed around anymore. If you want a glass of water, get up off your butt, and get it yourself!" Yelled Mason.

"Mason, I do..." Started Alex.

"Oh, I'm sorry, it's just, I want to be treated like you equal, but I went too far, what with my, raised tone, and my deplorable language, I'm so sorry, it's just, I really like you, and, I wanted to know..."

"Mason, I like you to." Said Alex as she hugged him.

"Ah." Said Theresa and Jerry.

"What like? I thought Mason was your twin? I'm not sure but that doesn't seem right." Stated Max. "Oh ha Juliet."

"Ya ya."

The door was then busted open and Justin ran in and slammed the door. "Justin what's wrong?" Asked Theresa.

"In my anger I did something awful, I went into a big art gala, shot up the place, and stole this, a prized, golden watch." Said Justin holding up the watch. "Now the police are after me!"

"Ya, so if any cops come after you, it'd be from that." Said Alex.

"I know." Said Justin. "Ah, I need a bath, see..." Started Justin as bullets came through the window. "Ah!" Screamed Justin as he ran away.

"What's his problem?" Asked Theresa.

"Ya, the bullets came at their usual time." Stated Alex.

"Some people don't notice patterns, but me, that's my specialty." Said Mason.

"And I love that about you." Said Alex as she kissed him and a bullet flew right by her head.

Will the police find Justin and the golden watch? Will sergeant find Justin's mob? Will Alex and Mason start a serious relationship? Will Alex get rich off of Justin's demise? Will Jerry paint the pipes? Will Theresa solve Max's problems and become useful? Where's Kramer been? Who really cares? Will Juliet become like the Russo's now that she is one? Will Max ever understand any of this? Will Ray buy his way into Justin's death? What will it do to his credit history? _You'll find out if you read the other 363 days in the year in the life of the Russo's, "_ I've got a secret. _"_


	12. Chapter 12

Wizards of Waverly Place

I've got a secret

 **Part Twelve: Day Twelve**

 _It was Wednesday, October 13, 2010, and the Russo's were sitting casually in their loft, all thinking that their problems were far behind them, not paying any attention to Justin's peril. Little did they know that today would complicate their lived to the extent of having to take extraordinary measures._

Alex and Mason were sitting next to each other on the couch and were kissing each other and laughing in a passionate manner. "Mason I'm so glad we decided to start a serious relationship, now we can find out everything about each other, and ourselves." Said Alex.

"That's right Alex, now there won't be any secrets between us. Alex, is there anything that you haven't told me since we met?" Asked Mason.

"Uh." Said Alex as she thought of turning Justin into the police, and when she accidentally exposed Mason's family to the Wizard Council, and Mason was nearly killed by Aslam, head of the Wizard Council. "No, nothing at all. Mason, how much of your family made it out of that situation with the Wizard Council, which just randomly came to my mind right now for no reason?" She asked.

"Oh, just me and my mom and dad, but they are currently hiding in the forest, and hunting for the fool who exposed us."

"Ah, is there anything you never told me?" Asked Alex.

"Yes, about a hundred and twenty years ago, I dated Juliet."

"You did, gross." Said Alex.

"It was. Wow now that we're all like a family now, we could really do something great. Maybe we could work to get money and start a family business." Said Mason.

"Ya, or I could make, all the money, not tell anybody where it comes from, and use that to start our business." Said Alex.

"Okay." Said Mason.

Jerry then walked down stairs with five cans of paint blocking his eyes. "Ha, can somebody help me carry my paint?"

"What are you doing with all that paint?" Asked Alex.

"He's painting the pipes in the basement to make it more appealing." Said Mason.

"Dad, don't you have anything better to do than paint pipes in the basement, like, getting a job to support our family, or getting into the witness protection program, anything?" Asked Alex.

"No, not with the mob after me. Oh, I'm out of blue paint, I'm going out to buy more. I'll wait for your mother, I'm out of money." Said Jerry as he sat at the table.

"Alex, I think Justin's really in trouble, I mean, he jumped under his bed every time he heard a siren from outside." Said Juliet. "Do you really think he stole that watch?"

"I have no doubt about it, why would you be so surprised, we've done things much worse than that." Said Alex.

"So things like this happen all the time in this house, how can you people live like this?" Asked Juliet.

"Ha, now that you're part of the family, you'll get used to it." Said Alex.

"No, I'm not like you, you people get into these messes because you don't think about your actions, me, I won't ever have that happen to me, because I'm resourceful, and a conservative thinker, like Justin used to be, before he decided to be part of your family, start a mob, and steal a golden watch!" Yelled Juliet.

"Ha, what's all the yelling?" Asked Theresa. "If it's Max, then don't even think about helping with it, that's my problem."

"Your mom's too worthless to do any harm, but she's just like the rest of you, your dad with those pipes, Max and his magic closets, you two and attacking celebrities, Justin and the watch, and I'm sure you have something going on now to ruin your lives." Said Juliet.

"What do you know!" Yelled Alex.

"Well, I'm going out, see ya, weirdos." Said Juliet as she walked out the door.

"She's got some problems." Said Jerry. "Theresa, I need some money for paint, make it fast."

"Here, take some extra, be gone longer." Said Theresa handing him the money.

"Great, see ya." Said Jerry as he left the house.

"See ya. Well, I gotta get to something, don't ask, I'll be back at seven." Said Alex as she left.

"By." Said Theresa.

"Mom this is nuts, what do I do? The cops are going to find me, and I'll spend the rest of my life in prison, all because I..." Started Justin.

"Ha, that's our son, ha Justin, finally earned a place in our home." Said Theresa.

"Mom, this is not something that I'm proud of, being part of this family ruined my life, now I have no way out."

"Now that's where you're wrong Justin, this family never lets a member get arrested, we'll think of a way out of this, just wait."

"Okay, I'll be under the stairs." Said Justin as he left the loft.

At the paint store, Jerry was purchasing some paint and talking to the cashier. "So, just some stupid card game, it was nothing now the mob wants to kill these, random citizens, isn't that wrong?"

"Ha, you gonna buy some paint or not?" Asked the cashier.

"Ya, here's, ha, who are those men?" Asked Jerry as he saw some well dressed men in suits.

"Beats me, never bought paint here, now ge..."

"No, I'm gonna, stay a while, look around, may..."

"Ha! Everybody get out of here, now!" Yelled one of the men as he fired off two shots and the place was cleared.

"Ah!" Yelled Jerry as he ran for the door, what he was grabbed by the two other men.

"You're not going anywhere, except to our place, to answer some questions, ha ha ha!" Yelled the man.

"Ah!" Screamed Jerry as he reached for the wall, then for his paint, then he was dragged out the door.

"So, Justin could be anywhere, now that he knows the cops want him for that gold watch, and that's all I know." Said Alex.

"Well, I want all that you know, and pretty soon, you'll be a full time informer for the police." Said the sergeant.

"Alright, I'll tell you what I find, see ya." Said Alex as she left.

"Yes, yes you will." Said the man as he picked up his phone and turned it on. "Hello, this is officer de Havilland, we have confirmed that the girl, is the daughter of the card player, when the time is right, we'll capture her, and hold her hostage to get the man, by Pauly." Said de Havilland as he hung up.

At the City Department of Records, Ray was looking at the records of the Russo's when he came upon the file on Justin Russo, with a picture and everything. "Hu, sir, is there another record, on another Justin Russo here?" Asked Ray.

"No, because there is no other Justin Russo, then this one, in the whole world." Answered the man.

"Are you su..." Started Ray.

"Absolutely." Said the man. "None, at all."

"Ah, ah, ah!" Screamed Ray as he ripped Justin's file in half.

Theresa was sitting in the living room when there came a flash of light and a man in really fancy clothing appeared. "Hello, I am Aslam, leader of the Wizard Council!" Yelled Aslam.

"I know who you are." Said Theresa not caring.

"Of course you don't, you are a mere mortal, but I have some urgent news to give you. Despite the fact that your daughter did not find us every werewolf in the Waverly area, we still owe her some payment, for giving away, twenty-six wolves." Said Aslam.

"What?" Asked Mason.

"Ya, Alex Russo turned in a hoard of werewolves to us, we killed 'em, now we owe her, sixty-nine cents, have a nice day." Said Aslam as he disappeared.

"Whew, I'd hate to be that pack's surviving members." Said Theresa.

"Ya." Said Mason as he sat down.

In the park, Juliet was sitting on a bench, thinking hard about the family she was living with. "Those freaks, don't they ever think about anybody but themselves?" She asked to herself.

"I know what you mean, my family ruined my life, forever, and I wish I had done something about it." Said a man in a brown coat.

"Me to, I wish there was a way to show them how bad selfishness can really be to people." Said Juliet.

"Maybe there is, anybody can be taught, with some example." Said the man.

"Ya, but the Russo's are hopeless, but if there was something that could be done, I'd want it to happen."

"Would you sign something to that affair?" Asked the man.

"Ya, oh is that it? Okay, uh, here, now if it could really happen, well, talking to you has made me feel all better, by." Said Juliet as she skipped off all happy.

"Yes, goodbye, but not good for long, wa ha ha." Laughed the man as he took the hood off his face to reveal two targets painted on his cheeks.

At the warehouse, Jerry was tied to a chair in a badly lit room. "Uh, where am I?" He asked.

"You're at our headquarters, nobody knows about it but us." Said the man.

"Wha, what are all these props for?" Asked Jerry.

"For our movie, ya see, we are filmmakers, working on a very prestigious film. Mr. Russo, we have knowledge that your son, is targeting our movie, and making a mob, in hopes of destroying it."

"Whoa, the use of the word target made me uncomfortable for some reason, don't know why." Said Jerry.

"Well, we are asking you, Jerry Russo, to tell us anything you know about Justin Russo, who he is, where he might be, and in return, we'll give you, anything you want." Said the man.

"Anything?" Asked Jerry.

"Yes."

"Even an indoor surfing simulator? I've always wanted one of those." Said Jerry.

"Find us Justin Russo, and we'll give you, two indoor surfing simulators." Said the man.

"I said I always wanted, one." Said Jerry.

"Ya okay, just tell us where your son is, so we can kill him." Said the man.

"Kay, uh, but wait, he just stole a very valuable watch, so he's like officially a member of our family, and family never sells out family, no matter what."

"Have it your way, but as long as you stay silent, you'll be here, in our prop house, forever!" Yelled the man.

"Ha, you don't know my family, they never let each other down, and my family certainly won't let me be trapped here, in a room full of, crummy props, and cheesy nineteenth century costumes, they'll find me the minute they notice I'm not home." Said Jerry.

At the house, Theresa was sitting at the table eating dinner with Max and Mason. "This is some good food, I should've bought microwave dinners years ago." Said Theresa.

"Ya, this beats that garbage that somebody always replaced your cooking with." Said Max.

"Ya, thanks Max." Said Theresa.

"Ha, can you hand me some food?" Asked Justin from under the stairs.

"Ha here." Said Mason as he threw the food at Justin.

"Ah! That's hot!" Yelled Justin.

"Mason, you don't seem too well." Said Theresa. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just..." Started Mason.

"Ha, I just had the best day, and now I felt much better about this family, and I think, I can learn to appreciate, and even join in, your selfish ways." Said Juliet.

"Great, now have some dinner, it's microwavable." Said Theresa.

"Great, mm, this i..." Started Juliet.

The door was then kicked in and the room was filled with the noise of gunshots, it was Ray. "Where is he? Where is Justin Russo?"

"Uh, well he lives far away, in, Cotton, Town." Said Theresa.

"No, the man at the record department told me that there is only one Justin Russo in the world, and so he must be your son, and I've stood before him, talked to him, now, I'm gonna be covered in his blood!" Yelled Ray. "So where is he!"

"Oh, he went out, to get a, and he won't be back for, never." Said Juliet.

"Never, well I can wait." Said Ray as he sat down.

"Where's Jerry?" Asked Theresa.

"Who cares." Said Max as he continued to eat.

"Ha, guess who just got a job offer at the police department, don't ask me how, I just did." Said Alex.

"I'm so happy for you." Said Theresa.

"Thanks, ha Mason..." Started Alex.

"Yes, very good, um, Mrs. Russo, thank you for your hospitality, and tell Mr. Russo that I appreciate his housings, but I must leave now, good-bye." Said Mason as he started to leave.

"Mason, where are you going?" Asked Alex as she stopped him at the door. "You don't have to leave."

"Yes I do, and when you will ever see me again is uncertain, good-bye Alex." Said Mason as he left.

"Hu." Said Alex as she sat down and looked at her family in confusion and sadness.

 _Will Mason ever come back to Alex? Will Alex find out why Mason left? Will Sergeant de Havilland capture Alex so the mob can finally capture Jerry? Will Jerry sell out Justin for his own freedom, or will the family find him first? Will Ray kill Justin, and if not will the police or the film crew catch him first? What will the strange man do for Juliet? Where is Kramer?_ _You'll find out if you read the other 363 days in the year in the life of the Russo's, "_ I've got a secret. _"_


	13. Chapter 13

Wizards of Waverly Place

I've got a secret

 **Part Thirteen: Day Thirteen**

 _It was Thursday, October 14, 2010, day thirteen of the year in the life of the Russo's, I've got a secret, and here is a recap of what has happened over the past twelve days. Alex and her werewolf boyfriend Mason had spent so much of their time making money for advanced archery lessons, only to have Alex drop out to help a government agent capture her brother, and therein make Mason drop out, for he was only in it to be with Alex. Alex has been a great help to the detective, but it turns out that the detective is just using Alex, for he is a member of the mob, and hopes to hold her hostage to capture Jerry, but Alex doesn't know it yet. Mason finally told Alex how he feels and they started a relationship with each other, until he found out Alex exposed werewolves to the Wizard Council and got his family killed, and he moved out. Justin and Juliet, his vampire girlfriend, started a mob to destroy an awful movie before it gets to the theaters and gains popularity. The mob had only four members, so Justin sent out a mob request with a positive response, to a Mr. Ray Liotta. Justin was gone when Ray came to meet him, he got so mad, and now he wants to kill Justin. Justin had since returned, and hid in the broom closet with Juliet, until they came up with alibis for Ray and were able to get back to their normal lives, Ray now thinking that Mason and Juliet are also among the Russo siblings, and there are two Justin Russo's. Justin decided to restart his mob, until he found out that his parents didn't accept him as a member of the family, and without thinking he stole a valuable watch from a museum, and now is wanted by the police, and cannot leave the house. Juliet has become sick of the family's selfishness and vented her feelings to a strange target-faced man. She feels better, but what will he do? Jerry met a strange man named Kramer by having the same name as his best friend, and decided to help him win back his friend's necklace in a poker game. The mob came in to tell them to call it off, but when they did the mob came after them, they barely escaped with the necklace, but the mob is still on their tales, so Kramer was forced to move into the house. Jerry went out to buy some paint, but was kidnapped by the movie studio and won't be able to leave until they catch Justin. Theresa decided she needs a purpose in life, and thought it was to find Max in Jerry's magic closet he was lost in, but now that he's out she decided to just solve the problems he causes, but he's too confused to cause any trouble. Ray went to the city department of files, and has found out that Justin really is the one he wishes to kill, confining Justin to the cupboard under the stairs, which is a problem for everybody. We now return to part thirteen of I've got a secret._

Theresa was sitting at the counter sipping her coffee nervously when Alex walked down the stairs. "Mom, you look tense, what's wrong?" She asked dully.

"Oh Alex, your dad is missing, your brother can't come out from under the stairs, and Ray is storing his guns all over the house, I don't have any place to put the dishes." Said Theresa.

"You think you got problems? Mason left me in this time of need and I have no idea why. If he were here none of this would ever have happened. Oh mom what do we do? Now it's just you me and, Max."

"Ha guys." Said Juliet as she walked down the perkily.

"Oh, and her, but she can't offer us anything." Said Alex sulkily. "Mom what do we do to get Mason back?"

"What about your dad?" Asked Juliet.

"Who cares about him, he doesn't love me." Said Alex.

"That's no, eh you have a point." Said Theresa.

"Guys! Give me something to eat I'm starving!" Yelled Justin.

"Shh Justin, Ray might hear you." Said Theresa as she shut the door to the cabinet.

"Guys, there must be something we can do, I am not spending the rest of my life under the stairs. Okay I am tired of running from my problems, I am coming out from this cabinet, and I am going to tell Ray that he has no right to kill me, just because I was late for a meeting!" Yelled Justin.

"What are you going to say to the barrel of his gun when it is aimed right at your throat!" Demanded Alex.

"And don't forget about the police who want you for your robbery of valuable museum items." Said Juliet.

"Justin if you didn't do stupid things you wouldn't have these kinds of problems!" Yelled Theresa.

"Me, stupid actions? If anybody in this house does stupid things, then, then, it wouldn't be any particular person, because you are all stupid! Look at this family! It is time we take our problems apart, and solve each one with brute force!" Yelled Justin.

"Justin, this is no time for crazy talk! We have to find Mason to convince him to come home, and then we can solve all of our problems!" Yelled Alex.

"Ha guys!" Yelled Kramer.

"Oh get out of here!" Yelled Theresa.

"Sorry, have you seen Jerry, he said he was going out to buy paint, hope nothing happened to him." Said Kramer.

"Ya, wonder where he went." Said Juliet. "Sure, maybe nobody in this family has emotions, but I am going to find Jerry once and for all, to show you that not all acts of kindness are meaningless." Said Juliet.

"No, we are not doing that until we find Mason!" Yelled Alex.

"Alex, dad had people who wanted to kill him, he's in more danger than Mason is!" Yelled Justin. "Why can't you ever think of anybody but yourself!"

"Fine, you guys go look for dad, I'll look for Mason, see ya later." Said Alex as she walked out the door.

"Alright, she's gone, now all I need is a disguise to protect myself from the evil police and other people who want to kill me." Said Justin as he went back into the cabinet.

Meanwhile at the H.Q of the movie Jerry was being subjected to various forms of torture in order to leak information about Justin. "These pancakes are so dry, got any syrup?" Asked Jerry.

"No! No syrup until you tell us where Justin is!" Yelled the man as he threw a bottle of syrup into the wall and it shattered into pieces. "Listen, you say your family is coming to save you, but it's not going to happen, just tell us where Justin is and you can be free to all the syrup and indoor surfing simulators you want. We'll even let you star in our movie." Said the man.

"Really? Well, maybe once I get used to the life of a film star then I'll tell you where Justin is." Said Jerry.

"Alright, you start your scenes today." Said another man who had just walked in through a wall.

"Alright!" Yelled Jerry.

In the park Alex was searching diligently for Mason when she came across Ray. "Oh, ha Ray..." Started Alex.

"You! You lied to me about your brother, now I am going to kill you for contradicting me!" Yelled Ray as he pulled out a gun and aimed it at Alex's head.

"You would really kill me, here, in a central park. You pull that trigger and half the city will come running to the scene to find you over my dead body and arrest you for the rest of your life." Said Alex.

"Not if I kill all of them before they can pull out their hand cuffs!" Yelled Ray spitting on nearly every word.

"How can you do that with no ammo?" Asked Alex as she held up a plastic bag of bullets.

"My bullets! How did you manage to remove those from the barrel of my gun, and drop them in that plastic bag without my noticing!" Yelled Ray.

"You never put them in your gun, I simply took them out of your hand very quickly, so fast nobody's nerves could react to it in time!" Yelled Alex. "Now, I'll give you these bullets when you promise me, that you will take the proper measures before killing Justin, if not your time will be duly wasted." Stated Alex.

"Okay." Said Ray.

"Justin is a complex being, in order to kill him you must find the very gun, the only one with the power of murdering him, which lies in a highly dangerous place." Said Alex.

"I'll do it, so long as it sees Justin Russo dead." Said Ray.

"Good, you must scour the earth to find it, and find the one bullet that it will fire, my guess is that it will not be far from firing distance of the gun, so go, and when you find the gun, do come back and kill my brother." Said Alex.

"How will I know that it is the right gun?" Asked Ray.

"You'll know, you just will. You'll feel it in your gut." Stated Alex. "Now go, now!" Yelled Alex.

"Okay." Said Ray as he ran full force into a tree.

"Alright, don't worry Mason, we'll be together soon." Stated Alex as she walked on.

In the middle of town, Theresa, Justin, Max, Juliet and Kramer were in fervent pursuit of Jerry. Justin was dressed in black sunglasses and a suit and tie. "Who would take Jerry?" Asked Theresa.

"Ya it doesn't make sense." Said Juliet.

"I know who." Said a far off voice.

"Who said that!" Demanded Justin as he pulled out a gun.

"It was me." Said the owner of the hardware store. "I saw who it was, right from this seat."

"Tell us what you know!" Screamed Max. It was completely silent.

"Well, he strolled in here, nervous fellow, lookin' for some pipe paint, and then some men, four or five of em', carried him off. I saw it all." Said the man.

"What did they look like?" Asked Kramer.

"Look like film men, workin' on a movie, meant business." Said the owner.

"The people from the movie." Said Juliet.

"Oh no, this is all my fault!" Yelled Justin. "Wow, no matter how good my intentions something always manages to go wrong."

"Thank you, uh, what's your name?" Asked Theresa.

"Doesn't matter, all that matters now is finding your husband, now go!" Yelled the man.

"Alright!" Yelled Justin as he ran into the door.

In the park Alex was looking behind every tree when a cloaked man walked up to her. "Hello, are you a Russo?" Asked the man.

"Ya, what's it to you!" Yelled Alex as she continued to search.

"Good, and where is it that you live?" Asked the cloaked man.

"Uh, why? I'm kinda busy." Said Alex.

"Just tell me, it is imperative! You have no idea what I can do to you!" Yelled the man.

"Uh, here, fine, here," Said Alex as she marked a spot on the map, "this is where I live, do whatever it is you want, good-bye." Said Alex as she walked on.

"Yes, thank you, hwa ha ha ha!" Yelled the man as he removed the cloak from his head revealing the targets on his face.

That night the group was still walking when some sirens went off. "What is that!" Yelled Justin.

"Nothing, just a siren from some car." Answered Juliet.

"Siren! It could be the police to arrest me! Hide!" Yelled Justin.

"Will you stop worrying, how could the police know where to find y..." Started Kramer as he was interrupted by a gunshot near his head.

"Uh oh." Said Theresa.

"What do we do!" Screamed Max.

"Hide!" Yelled Justin as he dived face first into a trash can. "Oh! My face!"

"Ha, maybe that'll dent up your face and they won't recognize you." Joked Juliet.

"Are you insane! They can find DNA, just denting up your face won't save you." Stated Kramer.

"Ah, and you just bought those sunglasses, what a waste of five dollars." Said Theresa.

"Where did you get sunglasses for five dollars?" Asked Kramer.

"Are you guys insane!" Yelled Max. "Run!" The family then jumped into an alley.

"Ha, come with me." Said a strange man in the alley.

"Okay." Said the group as they followed him into his house on the side of the alley. The police car followed them, but ended up crashing into the wall at the end of the ally.

"Uh, that was close, thank you sir." Stated Theresa.

"You are welcome." Responded the man.

"Ha, you're the guy from the hardware store!" Proclaimed Justin.

"Yes, and I hope to help you find your father as much as I can, but I fear that after tonight you will be on your own, and I must flee." Said the owner.

"Oh, thank you." Said Max.

"Will we ever see you again?" Asked Juliet.

"Perhaps one day, but until then, take my lucky spade, let it guide you in all of your endeavors." Said the owner handing his spade over to Justin.

"Alright, ha, before you go, I gotta know what your name is, so I can write all this in a book I'm writing." Said Kramer.

"You may characterize me as the Unknown Passer, who is only there when danger arises, put that in your book Mr. Kramer." Said the owner.

"Ha, how did you know my name?" Asked Kramer.

"Well that's what it says on your jacket." Said the man signaling to the embroidery on Kramer's jacket.

"Well, thank you for everything." Said Theresa as she put out her hand to shake with his.

"You are welcome." Said the man as he moved to the door.

"Ha, what do you want us to do with the spade?" Asked Juliet.

"You will know when the time is right." Said the man as he slammed the door.

"Hu, how do you spell unknown?" Asked Kramer.

"Uh, oh he's gone." Said Max.

"This was all a bust." Said Kramer as he sat in a chair.

"Ha, who says you get that chair?" Asked Justin grumpily.

In the park, Alex was sleeping on a bench when a man in tattered clothes walked up to her. "Ha, that's where I sleep, what are you doing here?" Asked the man.

"Ha, give me a break, I've been searching for hours for my lost love, but I'm starting to think that I'll never find him. Oh, without him my life is just, empty, not literally, because there are seven other people at my house, well, currently six, well five, without Ray." Said Alex.

"Ya, I know what ya mean." Said the man as he sat on Alex's leg.

"Uh." Groaned Alex.

"I lost the woman of my dreams, one day we were kissing on this bench, then one day I came here, and she never showed up. I've come here every day for three years, waiting for her to come back, but she never has." Said the man.

"That's so sad." Said Alex.

"Ya, they said she died, but I won't accept it!" Yelled the man as he punched Alex in the stomach.

"Oh, and when did you get that news?" Asked Alex, holding her stomach.

"A while ago, about the same time she stopped showing up. Well, maybe you're right, she's not coming." Said the man glumly. "Well, I'd better go home to my daughter, she'll be wondering where I am. See ya."

"Bye." Said Alex as she sat up on the bench and look miserable. "At least he has people who love him, all I have is mom, Justin, Max, Juliet and, whoever that other guy is. Oh Mason, I hope you're out here." Said Alex as she looked out into the forest.

At the Russo house, a strange man had just come to the door. He took out five screw drivers and cork screw and used them to open the door. Then he picked up his huge bag of things and headed into the house.

 _Will Alex ever find Mason? Will the Russo's find Jerry? Will the police find them first? What will the spade do for the Russo's? Will Jerry really turn Justin in if he finds film life glamorous? Will Ray really travel the world forever in search of the special gun? What will he find instead? Who is the man in the Russo house? You'll know if you read the other 356 days in the year in the life of the Russo's, "I've got a secret."_


	14. Chapter 14

Wizards of Waverly Place

I've got a secret

 **Part Fourteen: Day Fourteen**

 _It was Friday, October 15, 2010, and the Russo's were all in hot pursuit of their lost persons. Little did they know that dangers awaited them like they had never dreamed of even in their darkest nightmares._

Justin, Theresa, Kramer, Max and Juliet had just woken up to the same house the Unknown Passer had guided them to the previous night, still unsure of their next move in finding Jerry. "Uh, that was the worst night sleep ever, ah who am I kidding I never sleep better than that, even on a chair." Stated Justin who had just awakened.

"Ya that was one of my better nights." Stated Juliet. "But where do we go now? All we know is that Jerry is hostage in a studio or something, and I doubt they would take him to the one we watched the filming in. Justin, what do we do?"

"Beats me." Said Justin as he picked up a bottle of cologne and lathered it into his hair. "Well, maybe they took him to a warehouse, I know if I kidnapped somebody, I'd take them to a warehouse."

"Well we'd better hurry on." Said Theresa.

"Ya, who knows what they're doing to him." Stated Kramer.

At the studio where Justin and Juliet had watched shooting, Jerry was clad in a knight's suit and was acting out the terrible dialogue they had put in the film at the last minute, but it didn't matter, for it was some of the best scripture in the production. "Oh my king, why haths, hath, thy, calledeth, I don't think they put 'eth' at the end of every work." Stated Jerry as he put down the script.

"Yes they do, just like it says in this ancient biography!" Yelled the man, also the producer, as he held up one of his prior films that was released to less than ten theaters.

"Even I didn't see that one." Said the other man.

"Shut up, Lewis!" Yelled the man.

"Sorry, bro." Said Lewis.

"I don't know, maybe he's right, and this movie isn't as great as we've made it out to be to the academy of film judges." Stated a lady worker, who happened to be the man's sister.

"Ya, we should take a real good look at this script before we continue filming the movie." Stated the head of the film's script, who was the man's dad.

"No! I have never had a script re-written in my history of directing!" Yelled the man.

"You've also never had a film earn more than thirty thousand dollars." Stated the man's mother. She didn't work there, but she was just fun to have around.

"Son, I am telling you this as your father," Started the man's brother. "I know you like to do things in the spur of the moment without any consideration, but it doesn't always work."

"Yes, my unconsidered actions always end up great!" Yelled the man as he banged his fist on the table, which shattered under the weight of his fist, they couldn't afford real tables.

"Want some coffee honey?" Asked the man's wife, who had messed up hair, a cigarette in her mouth and a glass of wine in her hand. He had met her at the same film school he went to, not knowing she would end up just as successful as him.

"Well, maybe you have a point, we've all lived doing whatever feels natural, and between the three of us we've produced eight films that never made it to more than thirty theaters, and have had six of the stupidest children ever born." Stated the man.

"Nine." Said the dad, obviously referring to the three he had.

"So, what do you say?" Asked Jerry.

"Alright, we'll take another look at the script, but we want your son to shut down that mob of his!" Yelled the man's sister.

"I heard he has Ray Liotta in his mob." Stated the father.

"Ray Liotta!" Yelled Lewis.

"I loved him in Goodfellas." Stated the mother.

"Ma, we had an agreement, if you wanna come, you have to stay quiet." Said the man.

"I will not be silenced!" Yelled the mother in her raspy voice, which sounded just like Ma from 'Ma's Road House'.

"Don't worry, once my son sees that your film isn't a piece of rubbish that will corrupt culture for years to come, he'll call of his mob." Stated Jerry.

"See honey, not all people are bad there's good in every man." Slurred his wife in one long statement with no stops and she leaned on his shoulder and slid on to the floor.

"So, can you let me go now?" Asked Jerry.

"No! Nobody can ever leave once they have seen the secret recording studio!" Stated the man. Around the studio were old cameras, rotted wooden sets, webbed up sound booths, and a man with no clothes watching film strips of the desert and mumbling to himself.

"Ha, can ya get me in to see Ray Liotta in concert?" Asked the man's mom.

"He's not a musician." Stated the man.

"Can you get me in too?" Asked his sister.

"Oh." Groaned Jerry.

Meanwhile in the park, Alex was still searching for Mason when she heard footsteps following hers. "Hu, who's there!" She demanded. She turned around to find the path clear. "Hu, oh well." Said Alex as she carried on.

Behind Alex, hiding behind a tree was a member of the mob, accompanied by Sergeant de Havillan, who isn't a real police sergeant at all. Ha ha, once she finds that boy, we'll capture them both, making our chances of capturing Jerry for their ransom even greater, for I can only assume that this Mason is her brother, and therefore Jerry's son." Stated the Italian mob member.

"Yes, and to think we never would have known about Justin's family, if it weren't for that spy we hired who has diligently spied on them for the past week." Stated de Havilland as the spy walked out of the shadows. It was Susan Lucci.

Thank you, Ms. Lucci." Said the Italian mom member.

"Yes, I personally have a vendetta against the family, for you see, Alex Russo is a great enemy of mine.

"Ah, either way, we will soon have Jerry Russo in our clutches, and dead, and in payment to you, we will kill all other members of the Russo family, for nobody opposes the great unnamed mob of New York." Stated the Italian mob member.

"Ya, and nobody opposes detective de Havilland either!" Yelled de Havilland.

"You know that you're not a real mom member don't you?" Asked Susan.

"Nobody opposes me!" Yelled de Havilland.

"I'm sorry." Said Susan as she ate off the hair which she held in her hands.

In the city, the Russo's were walking cautiously across the walls of the buildings near the sidewalk. "Uh, I hope we find Jerry soon, without those sunglasses the police will be on us in no time." Stated Justin.

"Oh, we're never going to find him it's hopeless, it's hopeless!" Yelled Max.

"Shut up Max, Jerry could be tied to a pole with, five men pointing guns at him or, being lowered into a shark tank, and you want us to go home and forget him?" Demanded Juliet.

"I don't want to go home I was just saying that we'll never find him, not that that's going to make any difference." Said Max.

"No, we'll look for Jerry for the rest of our lives, because Russo's never leave their family behind no matter how hopeless it looks!" Yelled Theresa.

"What about Alex?" Asked Kramer.

"What about Alex!" Yelled Justin as he took a potted plant and put it in front of his face and soil started to leak out the hole in the bottom.

"She could be in the forest helpless being eaten by bears or rhinos." Stated Kramer.

"Oh my." Said Max as he looked at a magazine he found on the sidewalk.

"Rhinos, in New York?" Said Juliet.

"Ha, you had film makers lowering Jerry into a shark pit." Stated Justin as soil poured on to his feet, then he took a step and he tripped and fell right into the plant and it's dirt.

"Where'd you get a cable strong enough to do that?" Asked Theresa jokingly. Nobody laughed and they all stared at her.

"Ha, you look really familiar." Said a man with a cup of coffee. "Where do I know you from?"

"Uh, us, we don't know you, in fact, you look like the least familiar person I've ever seen." Stated Theresa.

"Ha, you look like my wife, three children and my brother, who all live in my house, ha here they come now." Stated the guy as they walked up to him, and each person was lined up with the one they look like. Seeing them all together they realized that the man looked just like Jerry.

"Jerry!" Yelled Kramer.

"No, I'm Larry." Stated the man.

"Wow, you guys are just like us." Stated Hutton, who was just like Justin.

"Are you guys wizards too?" Asked Justin loudly.

"No." Said the person who was just like Juliet, who's name cannot be said in this story.

"Wow, us neither." Stated Juliet.

"Wait I thought tha..." Started Max.

"Nope, no wizards here." Stated Kramer.

"Glad to hear it." Said Rodger.

"Well, see ya." Said Theresa as they ran off.

"Weirdo." Said the Theresa like woman.

"Yep." Said the Max like person as he ate some of the soil on the ground.

"Ha, stop right there!" Yelled a cop as he ran at the Russo's.

"Uh oh." Said Justin as they stopped. The cop ran up right to the Russo's, then immediately turned around and wrestled the other family to the ground.

"You're under arrest, Justin Russo!" Yelled cop.

"You got it all wrong, I'm no..." Started Hutton as the cop punched him in the stomach. "Hu!"

"That was fortunate." Stated Theresa.

"Ya, now run!" Yelled Justin as they ran in the other direction.

Back at the forest, Alex had been walking for hours to no avail, until she came across a necklace laying in the grass. She picked it up to find that it was the necklace Mason had given to her, which he wore all the time to express his love to her. She picked it up and held it in her hand. "Oh Mason, where are you." Pleaded Alex as she put the necklace to her heart. At that point, it began to glow, and she felt a strong feeling. "Hu, what was that?" She asked herself. She had a strong urge to go to her left, and was soon assured that the necklace was leading her to her true love. She didn't hesitate another minute. She ran on to the left, deeper into the food.

Later on at about seven at night, the Russo's had finally made it to the filming studio, and found Jerry sitting in a chair as the six looked over their arbitrary film. "Guys!" Yelled Jerry.

"Jerry, we finally found you!" Yelled Theresa as she ran at Jerry with her arms wide open. Her path was blocked by a strong electric shock. "Ah! What was that?" She yelled.

"We know who you are, and we will not allow you to destroy out movie, for we have seen the light, and are ready to make it the best movie ever!" Yelled the man as he stood up and held his fist in the air.

"Ha, does whoopee have three o's or four?" Asked the dad.

"Five." Answered the sister.

"You don't understand, we just want to bring Jerr..." Started Juliet.

"Ha, we finally found the headquarters, I've waited so long for this!" Yelled Justin. "Let's do this, ha!" He yelled as he ran at the studio and began ripping props apart and smashing camera lenses with his fist.

"Stop, Justin stop!" Yelled Jerry.

"What!" Yelled Justin, who's fists were cut and covered in blood.

"These people have decided to redo their script, and to make sure it won't ruin fine film culture, Justin, don't they do the best they can?" Asked Jerry.

"Ha, ya know these inky pencils can show you how much writing fluid is in 'em?" Asked the mom as she held up a pen.

"This is the film company you hired insane mobsters and arsonists to help you shut down?" Asked Theresa.

"I could've wrecked this place no problem with these losers." Stated Max.

"We are not losers!" Yelled the dad as he banged his fist on the table, and there was a loud cracking. "Ah!"

"Ha, watch this!" Yelled Lewis as he lit a cigarette and threw it in the air, and it his eye. "Ah, ah!" He screamed as he kicked over the table and fell on the floor clutching his eye. "Uh, hu." Said Lewis as he sat in a chair and put the cigarette in his mouth.

"Alright, are you going to give Jerry back to us or not?" Demanded Kramer.

"No!" Yelled the man.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anybody about your, your old props, and, dirty cameras, or, your crazy mother." Stated Jerry.

"Ha, they should make beer cigars, so ya can smoke and get drunk at the same time." Said the mom.

"Well, alright, but we want it made known that you will never make any attempts to shut down out movie, ever again." Said the sister.

"Uh, well, okay, as long as you promise to make it better." Said Justin.

"Okay." Said Lewis.

"And, I want forty percent of what the movie makes." Said Justin.

"Alright, here." Said the man as he handed Justin ten dollars. "I want the change."

"Well alright, see ya guys." Said Theresa as they headed for the door.

"Ha, ya know, yer kinda cute." Started the man's wife. "Yer so tall, and handsome, tall." She said as she leaned on Kramer and slid on to the ground.

"Oh, honey, what are you doing?" Asked the man unenthusiastically not looking up from his script.

"Ya, gotta go, by." Said Kramer.

"Hu hu." Said the woman as Kramer moved and she fell on the floor.

"Ha, don't get blood on their, I just put cologne on their, and that stuff goes for thirty dollars a jar." Said the mother.

In the forest, Alex was deep in the woods, and was still looking at the necklace. "Left, okay, don't worry Mason, I'll be there soon." She said to the necklace.

"Wow, I'm glad we're home." Said Theresa that night as the six walked up to the house on the street.

"Ha, after all this time, home is where I want to be." Said Jerry.

"Where's the key, here it is." Said Justin as he unlocked and opened the door. "Ha ha, ha, who're y, ah!" Yelled Justin and the family as an arm grabbed and pulled them into the darkness of the house.

 _Will the necklace really lead Alex to Mason, or will she be eaten by a rhino first? Will de Havilland and the mob catch Alex and Mason, then kill the rest of the family? Will the movie really be improved? Will Ma invent beer cigars? Who grabbed the Russo's, and where did he take them? You'll know if you read the other 356 days in the year in the life of the Russo's, "I've got a secret_ _._ _"_


	15. Chapter 15

Wizards of Waverly Place

Í've got a secret

 **Part Fifteen: Day Fifteen**

 _It was Saturday, October 16, 2010, and each Russo, though separated, found themselves in deep trouble and unfamiliar settings. Alex had since moved deeper into unpaved forest, and the others had been unconscious since shortly after the man had grabbed them and pulled them into the darkness to an unknown fate, and that is where we begin._

The Russo's had just woken up for the first time since the darkness of their own apartment had consumed them to find themselves in an unusual metal room full of wired and other strange apparatuses. "Uh, where are we?" Asked Justin as he rubbed his head and sat up on the cold metal floor.

"Ya, what is this place? I thought we were home, and this doesn't look like home, well maybe, an evil, scary metal version of home, maybe, but not the home that we live at. Justin where are we?" Asked Max.

"I don't know Max, that's why I asked where we were, I don't think anybody knows where we are." Stated Justin.

"Well what was the point of asking if you think nobody knows where we are?" Asked Juliet as she sat up and hit her head on the lower ceiling that just happened to be over only her head. "Oh! My head!"

"Ha, that's what you get for making nasty comments at your superior, you have no idea what they can do to you, in fact, I might have put that lower ceiling above your head before you woke up, expecting you to insult me, but I didn't, but I could have." Stated Justin as he grabbed his head. Ah, the lights in this room are giving me a migraine with their buzzing. Who would put us in a place like this?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure one of your selfish actions caused that somebody to put us here, you know I thought you Russo's had changed, but I was wrong, you are all selfish, don't care about anybody but yourselves!" Yelled Juliet.

"Ha, be nice." Said Jerry. "But she's right, whoever did this to us must be punished!"

"Why are you talking like that?" Asked Kramer.

"Those people must have drilled their awful modes of speech into my head, now I can't stop talking insanely, I mean, I just used a simile, and I don't even know what that is." Stated Jerry. "Oh, why do these things happen to us, why!" Yelled Jerry as he banged his hands into the metal wall.

"Jerry, will you calm down?" Asked Theresa. "We all have problems, mine is, that I have no purpose, in, li, wait, my meaning in life, must be to protect idiots from their self induced problems, and I'll be stuck with you people, until I save you from this chamber, then I'll be transported to another family, with my supervisor right at my side, I figured it out!" Yelled Theresa.

"No you didn't, that's the girl from Touched by an Angel." Stated Juliet.

"Ya, well it was based off a true story, mine. Maybe once one of my duties is done, I forget all about it, and I'll never remember any of this after I move on, that'll be a relief." Stated Theresa.

"Theresa, these lights are causing you to go insane, you don't know what you're saying, so just snap out of it!" Yelled Jerry as he smacked her.

"Oh, ya I agree, whoever it is that sent us here, should be punished to the fullest extent of the law!" Yelled Theresa as she returned from her insane world.

"And beyond that, cause we don't care about the law!" Yelled Juliet.

"Ya!" Yelled Max.

"Ha, we're all chained together, this person must be a genius to do all this while we're asleep." Stated Kramer.

"I'm not even going to respond to that." Said Justin.

"Thank you." Said the entire group.

"Attention, attention!" Yelled a voice from far off.

"Ah!" Yelled the group.

"Who said that!" Demanded Jerry.

"It is me!" Yelled the man as the group turned to see him on a T.V screen near the top of the high ceiling. It was the white faced man with targets on his cheeks.

"Uh oh." Said Juliet as she recognized the voice as the cloaked man from the park.

"I have brought you here, to teach you that selfishness is evil, but not as evil as what I am going to do to you! Ha ha!" Laughed the target faced man.

"Jerry, this is horrible, we're going to die!" Yelled Theresa as she rattled the chains on her arms.

"Ha, shut up! All you do is nag and nag about how unfair your life is, well my life is unfair too, look at my face, that's never going to wash out! And do you see me nagging about it! No, I'm just going to kill as many people as I can, you collect enough, gallons of blood, to wash this eternal white paint from my face! That's better than nagging!"

"Sure." Said Theresa.

"Yes, all of you will be punished! Even the one who brought all of you to my attention." Stated the man.

"Well, we personally volunteer that person to be killed first! Wait it's not me is it?" Asked Jerry.

"No." Answered the man.

"Okay." Said Jerry.

"Wait, selfish, family, one of us." Stated Justin.

"Juliet!" Yelled the entire group.

"Ha it's not my fault. I mean, I didn't think he was an insane homicidal maniac." Stated Juliet.

"Well you thought wrong!" Yelled the man. "You will be sent to your first trial in a moment, but before then, you are free to take out your self-centered rage on each other however you want!" Yelled the man as their shackles were removed.

"We're gonna die!" Cried Justin as tears ran down his face.

"Why do these things happen to us?" Cried Theresa.

"This is all your fault!" Yelled Kramer.

"Ha, it was never my intent to get you all killed." Said Juliet.

"Well, our stupid mistakes are never meant to cause the things they do, but we always accept the consequences and try to solve them." Said Jerry.

"Oh, I had no idea, now I understand how you Russo's work." Said Juliet.

"Welcome to the family." Said Max as he grabbed her hands.

"But, how do I get all of us out of this? I mean, we're in a metal room in a building that could be hundreds of stories high and be thousands of feet in length. You guys just have stupid problems, like with police or mob members, problems that can be solved by just sitting around." Stated Juliet.

"Ha, we don't ask for those kinds of consequences, we're just lucky." Said Theresa. "Now, maybe we could all pretend to be dead, and he'd plant us safely in a graveyard."

"No! She has to learn to solve her own problems, so we can't do that idea, we have to do whatever she comes up with!" Yelled Jerry.

"Dad, isn't it more important that all of us not die, than Juliet learning the ways in which we work to solve the consequences of our actions?" Asked Justin.

"-No." Said Jerry with a serious look on his face.

"Uh, uh, I don't know." Said Juliet in a frightened voice.

"Ha, this is great, I mean, you all thought I'd be the one to kill all of us, but it's Juliet, take that, I'm no longer the worst member of this family." Said Max.

"We're happy for ya Max." Said Justin in a dull voice.

"This is no time to be happy, we have to find a way out of this!" Yelled Theresa.

"Maybe we can annoy him, so much, he has no choice but to let us go!" Yelled Kramer.

"No, he's on T.V, he can just turn himself off." Said Juliet. "Ha, maybe we can do something about that screen of his, if we could cut the wires, he wouldn't be able to see what we do, and we can escape."

"That's too complicated! Now you're getting to be just like Justin with your intelligent thinking. Well let me tell you, it hasn't been intellectual strategy that has kept the Russo's from dying out before their next of kin is born, but sheer dumb luck complimented by even dumber ideas." Stated Jerry.

"I have to agree, I don't know where Justin gets it." Said Theresa. "My family's the same way, only we don't have magic to fall back on."

"Well, I, ha, what's that sound?" Asked Juliet as a hissing sound came from all around them.

"Oh, I really want to be dead." Said Max.

"Me to, but that's ordinary for me." Said Theresa as the group fell on the ground, unconscious from the gas.

Back to the forest which Alex had been walking deeper into for three days now, Alex had trusted her path to the magic necklace around her neck which she was convinced was linked to Mason by his love for her it was still early in the morning, but the thick brush made it feel like dusk no matter what time of day it was on the outside. "Mason, I'm close, I can feel it, just a little further." Said Alex as she moved further into the forest. Near her path a figure ran quickly past her and into the shade of the trees. "Hu, who's that? Oh Mason, I hope you're okay." She moved along cautiously, looking side to side making sure that nobody was still following her. She was not aware that the figure who had run past her was still watching her, she was a woman none the less, with long, ragged hair, and was watching diligently from the cover of the tree.

It had been several hours and was nearly two p.m when the Russo's woke up to their new setting. It was a room, metal much like the previous one they had been in, but it was even darker, and had a hint of blue to it. "Uh, where are we? The last thing I remember is getting hit by a shovel and blacking out." Stated Juliet.

"That must have been a dream brought on by the gas." Suggested Theresa.

"No, before we went out I found a shovel and hit Juliet with it, nobody kills us without vengeance!" Yelled Justin. "I'm sorry, not really."

"Oh, that's fine, I think that shovel jolted my memory, and I got the base of an idea to save our lives, but I'd better wait to tell you before it's all worked out, don't want to get anybody's feelings up and shoot them down." Stated Juliet.

"I was shot down when I found out an honorary member of our family was getting all of us killed!" Yelled Jerry.

"Don't yell! My head still hurts from the gas." Said Max grabbing his head.

"Uh, what do you think he'll do to us?" Asked Kramer.

"I don't know, I hope it's nothing with water, cause this outfit it dry clean only." Said Justin in an annoyed voice.

"Attention, it's me again!" Yelled the man from the screen.

"Hi!" Yelled Max as he waved to the screen.

"Max, no." Said Theresa.

"Sorry." Said Max looking at the screen.

"It is time for you to be tested, and by tested, I mean tortured! Now, as you can see, you are all bolted to the floor, and in five minutes, the floor will collapse, and you will fall to your death, unless you unlock yourselves, with the keys that can only be obtained by killing the person across from you." Stated the man.

"Ha, how do we know you're not lying?" Asked Jerry.

"Good luck." Said the man as he disappeared from the screen.

"Oh, we've only got five minutes, what do we do, what do we do?" Whined Juliet.

"Ah!" Yelled Jerry as he took his battle weapon that had been assigned to him and started attacking Justin.

"Ah! What are you doing!" Yelled Justin.

"He said, the only way to save ourselves, was to kill..." Started Jerry as he shot at Justin.

"Wait, there must be some other way. Now, we have to think, how is it that when one of us dies, the other gets the keys?" Asked Justin.

"We'll find out!" Yelled Jerry as he shot Justin.

"Will you, ah!" Yelled Justin as he threw his battle piece of metal at Jerry.

"Oh! Okay, do your thinking." Said Jerry as he fell on the ground with his hand on his head.

"Okay, the way I figure, the keys are operated on a pulley, and the pulleys are triggered by sideways pressure on the chains, so if he drop on the floor, all of us will get our keys, it's that easy." Said Justin.

"Okay, on three, one..." Started Juliet.

"Oh!" Yelled Theresa as she fell on the floor, and the key was given to Juliet.

"Ha, yes!" Yelled Juliet as she started to unlock her shackles.

"Stupid girl! You have to fall first to give mom the key!" Yelled Justin.

"I know, ah fine, guess it's my duty to save as many people in this family as possible." Stated Juliet as she readied to fall on the ground. "Uh."

"Uh." The entire group dropped at the same time, and soon after the keys were lowered to them. "Ha ha." Said the group as they unlocked themselves.

"Now hurry!" Yelled Justin as they ran to the door and exited the room.

A few moments later the floor began to collapse, and the screen came on. "Okay, let's see who gets it!" Yelled the man as he watched the vacant floors fall with no people to be lost with it. "Uh, uh, grr!" Yelled the man as steam shot out of his ears. "This will not rest!"

In the forest, it was nearly four p.m, and it was now going on nightfall. Alex was about to give up for the day and find a hollow tree to rest in for the night, until the necklace began to glow a more passionate color, in a brighter hue, and present a greater sense of unity than it had in her entire journey. She knew then that Mason was within an hour's walk on her, and she sent off more diligently than ever. "Don't worry Mason, we'll be together soon!" She yelled as she ran to him. She ran, her hair blowing in the wind, her clothing pulled back be her fast paced movements, and the shining jewel swinging all about, waiting to be united with its lonely heart.

The group had again been put into a state of unconsciousness by the man, and had just woken up in an unfamiliar setting, this one was the worst of all. It was late, seven o'clock, but the lateness of the day had no effect on the company, for the sense of their demise over powered their tiredness. This room was the darkest off the three rooms they had been in, but this one had the strongest hint of red, not bright red, the kind that can only be described as the same hue of blood just as it seeps from a new wound. This was the shade amongst the darkness that worried the group, and now they feared every minute, waiting for the man on the screen to again test their lives. Their wait was soon over, for he appeared on the screen without warning. "Ah!" Yelled the group as they fell on the ground.

"Shut up! You may have cheated my torture before, but this time, I assure you, that at least one, if not all of you will come out of this test dead." Stated the man.

"Ah, why are you so insane? Why can't you kill somebody else's family?" Asked Theresa.

"I don't take suggestions! Now, you are all standing on a platform that will collapse into a pit of lava, only this time, you have only one key, and it can only open one door, and each on you has only one door that you can exit from. The key you have will open a door on the case to your left, it will only open one of the doors, which contains only one of the keys to one of the doors, you must decide who will live, good luck. Ha ha!" He laughed as the screen shut off.

"Ah, this is horrible!" Yelled Juliet.

"How are we going to choose between our family?" Asked Theresa.

"I know we're selfish, but we would never betray another one of us to death." Stated Jerry.

"Ya, no matter how bad the situation may seem, no matter how hopeless, the Russo's always stick together, right until the end!" Yelled Justin.

"We won't do it!" Yelled Max.

"You heard us, nobody is going to tear the Russo's apart!" Yelled Theresa to the blank screen.

"Ya, let's get it on!" Yelled Kramer with his fists in the air.

"Hu, hu!" Yelled Justin as he used the key to unlock a case with a hammer in it. He used the hammer to break the glass on every door on the case. "Hurry!" Yelled Justin as the group each grabbed their keys and left through their doors.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Yelled the man as he banged his head into a brick wall, smashed a plant in a vase, and rubbed the soil all over his face. "I, can't, take this! Ah, ah!" You have not heard the last of me!"

The group had all arrived in a central room, the same hue as the other one, and were all nervous. "Ah, where do we go now?" Asked Justin.

"Nowhere! This ends now! Prepare to meet your fate!" Yelled the man as he pulled all the switches on his wall.

"Whoa!" Yelled the group as death stars, pieces of metal from the ceiling and shards of glass shot at them from every corner.

"Run!" Yelled Justin as they ran from the spot the roof was targeting, and fell on the floor.

"Ah!" Yelled the man as he pulled his levers higher, speeding up the production of the weapons tenfold. The walls began to shake, and fall apart. "Oh no, ah!" Yelled the man as the shattered walls dropped their debris on him.

"Come on, this place is going down!" Yelled Juliet as they ran for a hole in the wall across the room.

"Coming, co, oh!" Yelled Jerry as a piece of brick fell from the ceiling onto his head.

"Come on Jerry!" Yelled Theresa as she helped Jerry to the exit. The whole family ran past the falling debris, and left through the hole.

In the forest, Alex had been running for some time, and now the necklace had calmed, leaving her feeling it had all been a hoax. She hopelessly turned a corner, and found Mason sitting by a river tossing rocks in. "Mason!" Yelled Alex as she ran to embrace him.

"Alex? What are you doing here?" Asked Mason.

"I had to find you, cause I can't live without you. Mason, why did you leave?"

"I found out what you did, how you told the Wizard Council about my family."

"Mason, I'm sorry, I didn't know, I'm sorry."

"Why didn't you tell me, once you found out?" Asked Mason.

"Well, I, I didn't tell you, because I couldn't bear to lose you, not again." Said Alex holding back tears.

"Alex, I understand, you didn't mean to hurt me, but it hurts me that you would keep this from me, to let me go the rest of my life not knowing. Alex, if we don't have trust, how can we have anything else?"

"I'm sorry, but I'll change, I'll never keep anything from you again. Secrets tear people apart from each other, and if you don't have trust with those you love, who can you have trust with? Mason, I promise, no more secrets, not with you."

"Alright, if you can trust me, I can trust you." Said Mason as he hugged Alex.

"Mason, I know I tore your family from you, but I want to make it up, to let you, join our family, what do you say? Will you come back?"

"Okay, I'll join your family, and I'll never leave, not without you." Said Mason.

"Oh Mason, I've never been so happy, I jus..." Started Alex.

She was interrupted when three people ran out of the forest and attacked them. A man grabbed Alex and began to pull her away. "Alex!" Yelled Mason as he ran to save her, but he was pushed on the ground by another of the three, before he could get back up, they had already gotten a fair distance away, and had Alex with them. "Alex! Uh, Alex." Said Mason as he stood there, and watched the men disappear with his love.

 _Will Alex and Mason ever be back together? Who are the people that stole Alex? Who is the woman that has been watching Alex? Did the group make it out before the building collapsed on them? What will come of the family after this experience? You'll know if you read the other 356 days in the year in the life of the Russo's, "I've got a secret."_


	16. Chapter 16

Wizards of Waverly Place

I've got a secret

 **Part Sixteen: Day Sixteen**

 _It was Sunday, October 17, 2010, and there was trouble for each Russo, be they in the captured group, or Alex and Mason. The group had just gotten home from their long journey from the mysterious chamber, and Alex found herself at the mercy of her kidnappers. Little did anybody know that their problems of the present would soon be a lot more complicated._

Alex had just woken up to find herself tied to a chair in a dark warehouse, with only one light to illuminate the room. "Uh, where am I?" She asked as she awakened.

"You're at our headquarters, the most confidential building in New York." Stated the mobster.

"Headquarters? Of what? Who are you? What do you want with me? Headquarters of what?" Asked Alex without stopping.

"Headquarters, of one of the strongest mobs in the country, the nameless mob of New York City, of which nobody defies." Answered the mob member.

"Mob, ha, are you the guys who want to kill my dad for having some stupid card game?" Asked Alex.

"That's us, and we have captured you, in hopes that your father will come to rescue you, and we will then capture him, and kill him in front of you. After that we are obliged to track down the rest of your family and kill them collectively, including you." Stated the mobster.

"How did you know who I was? How did you know where to find me?"

"From me." Responded a man from the shadows.

"de Havilland, what is all this about? I thought we were in it together to kill my brother, how could you betray me?" Asked Alex.

"I am not a real police detective, I am a ranking member of the nameless mob of New York City, and it is my assignment to get Jerry Russo to our lair to kill him. By doing this I will be promoted to master at torture, and will be able to torture information out of people. At this point I am assistant torture master, I just carry the weapons, but not for long!" Proclaimed de Havilland.

"So, how did you know about Justin's mob to shut down that movie? How did you know I was Jerry Russo's daughter? How did you even find me?" Pleaded Alex.

"From me." Said a voice from the shadows.

"I can't see, who is it?" Asked Alex squinting in the direction of the voice.

"It's me! Susan Lucci!" Yelled Susan as she walked out of the shadows. Her hair was messed up and her clothes were wrinkled and filthy.

"Susan! You look a lot worse than you did when I saw you fifteen days ago. What happened?"

"I'll tell you what happened, you happened. Your stunt lost me my credibility as the most stable soap opera star in the country, I was fired, and was replaced by my long lost evil twin sister, Alexa." Stated Susan.

"Evil twin sister?" Asked Alex.

"See, I don't just act it, I live it, just to lose it all in the end. See what you did to me? Now all I have to live on is the six hundred dollars a year the mob pays me to track down people who trust fall me, which at the current status is one. Alex, can you guess who that one is?"

"I can take a pretty good shot at it." Stated Alex.

"Yes, you have made my job infinite percents harder than it was before! So, as my end of the bargain, once your father is captured, you and the rest of the Russo family will be killed, and I will wear their skin as a robe!" Yelled Susan.

"Gross, ya know what really keeps ya warm, a Snuggi, it's like a blanket with sleeves." Said de Havilland as he put on his Snuggi, which had sleeved three feet longer than his arm and extra fabric that went on for five feet after his legs ended.

"Ah you idiot, a Snuggi is just a backwards robe, how can you be so stupid?" Asked the mobster. "Well, the sooner your father gets here, the sooner we can kill you."

"What, that's not a good thing, why do you say it like it is?" Asked Alex.

Because, until your father arrives, you will be subjected to various forms of torture, non-stop to show you that nobody defies the nameless mob of New York!" Yelled the mobster.

"Yes, you will be forced to watch me and Susan re-enact scenes from the 1950's Oscar film, An American in Paris, and nobody can stop us!" Yelled de Havilland.

"No!" Yelled Alex as she sat on the chair and stared at her nails.

Back at the house, the group had just arrived home from their long walk from the mysterious lair, and they were all exhausted. "Uh, that place was so far away. Must've been all the way on the other side of the world!" Yelled Justin as he fell on the couch and then rolled off. "Oh!"

"It was just across town, all the way across town, and the river." Stated Theresa.

"Ya know, it would've made more sense to take a boat instead of walking across it." Stated Juliet as she fell on one of the chairs.

"Oh, now you come up with ideas, ya know an idea back in that evil chamber would've been good, before he was throwing glass at us, and dropping roofs all over the place!" Yelled Max.

"Ha, I had an idea to get us out of there. Corrected Juliet. "But I have to admit, I don't think it would've worked."

"Ya, it probably wouldn't have." Said Justin. "So, now that that's all over, what do we do about the police wanting to catch me? We can't return the watch, because I lost it under the staircase. Dad what do you think? Dad, dad!" Yelled Justin as he stomped his foot.

"Uh, why are you yelling at me, what did I do to you?" Asked Jerry as he held his head.

"Dad, it's me Justin, we're family, we always yell at each other, don't you remember!" Pleaded Justin as he shook Jerry by his shirt.

"Justin, oh ya, I forgot for a second, but ya, we should've gotten a boat. Well I'm going to, uh, uh..." Said Jerry as he thought.

"Do the marketing?" Asked Theresa.

"Ya." Said Jerry.

"Jerry, you never do the marketing, what's wrong with you?" Asked Theresa.

"Look, nothing is wrong with me. I am perfectly fine, and as for you old lady, you should get out of my house, before my wife gets home and puts the hurtin' on you!" Yelled Jerry pointing at Theresa.

"Jerry, I am your wife, Theresa!" Yelled Theresa.

"No, I know my wife, and she is not you!" Yelled Jerry.

"Jerry, if I'm not your wife then who is?" Asked Theresa.

"Theresa, but not you Theresa, she's a completely different person." Said Jerry.

"What's wrong with him?" Asked Juliet.

"Something's always wrong with him." Stated Kramer.

"I guess you're right." Said Theresa. "So, now that we're home we can return to our ordinary lives. Like me, now I can solve Max's stupid problems, and finally become a useful person!"

"Uh, what about me, you all may be out of trouble, but I still have the police after me for that watch. You should all pull together to help me, like I did to help all of you escape from that psycho." Said Justin.

"Ha, you were in there with that psycho too, plus, you should be able to save yourself to, Mr. 5.0 GP, uh, GPS, you don't need us." Said Max.

"Shut up Max." Said Justin.

"I'm sorry."

"Well, until I come up with a solution, I'll just be under the stairs, hiding from Ray." Said Justin as he headed for the stairs.

"Ha, where is Ray? I haven't seen him since we got home." Stated Theresa.

"Don't be so secure, he could be hiding in one of our plants with a sniper gun, ready to pull a guerrilla attack on me!" Yelled Justin.

"Ha, I think he's really gone this time." Said Juliet. "I mean, all of his ammunition is gone, his credit cards, his razor blades. He must be gone for good if he took his razor blades."

"Alright, now I can think of how to avoid the police from outside the under of the stairs! Wow, Alex must have done something genius to get rid of him." Said Justin.

"Ha, where is Alex?" Asked Kramer as he picked up a coaster and looked under it.

"Beats me, maybe she heard we were coming back and went out to get balloons to throw a party for us." Suggested Theresa. "Okay, even I know that's a stupid suggestion that probably isn't what the case is. Do you remember what the last thing she said to us before we left was?"

"Ya, she said she was going out to look for, uh, uh, I don't remember I was too pre-occupied with putting together my costume to listen." Stated Justin. "But that's what other people are for."

"Ya, I was too upset, about having to waste my time finding Jerry to listen to her." Said Theresa.

"Ya, I don't think Alex is capable of doing anything important enough for me to get involved with it, let alone listen to it, so I just ignore her when she talked.

"Ya, and me and Kramer are too stupid to remember what somebody said beyond about five, sec, ha where's Alex?" Asked Max.

"I'm not stupid, how dare you even suggest, that I am the least, bit, uh, ha, we got out of that crazy guy's lair! Woo hoo!" Yelled Kramer.

"Ya and I don't think I was there, so I probably won't remember what Alex said, or even who she is." Said Jerry.

"Well, she already got rid of Ray so it doesn't matter where she is." Stated Justin.

"I guess you're right, so what do we do to help Justin?" Asked Theresa as she sat on the couch.

"Well, the easiest thing to do is to look for the watch under the staircase." Said Juliet. "But for some reason I think that'll just lead to more problems. For some reason, whatever we do to solve our problems, they always lead to other, more strange problems that are even harder to solve." Said Juliet.

"Ha, can we solve this problem first!" Demanded Justin. "Usually I would think ahead and interpret what Juliet said, but right now I'm tired of having to wear a costume every time I leave the house, so let's find the damn watch and get it over with!" Yelled Justin.

"Do not yell at me, I got into this family by just taking on a false identity, you had to steal a million dollar watch to get into the family." Said Juliet as she drank tea.

"That tea's been there for four days." Said Theresa.

"I don't care I'm thirsty." Said Juliet in a quiet uncaring voice as she kept drinking.

"Wait, if I return the watch, will that mean I'm not in the family anymore?" Asked Justin.

"Normally yes, but now that you've given me a purpose in my life, to find the watch, you are now in the family." Said Theresa.

"I don't remember much, but I don't think you have the authority to put people into this family, whoever you are!" Yelled Jerry as he ate a donut.

"So, if it's your purpose to find the watch, does that mean we don't have to help?" Asked Kramer.

"No, you have to help, I am the soul finder of the watch, you're all just accessories." Said Theresa.

"Ya mean like fridge magnets?" Asked Max.

"Exactly like fridge magnets, now we'll need some flashlights, some gloves, and some flashlights." Said Theresa.

"You already said flashlights." Said Juliet.

"What, Jerry can forget things and I can't!" Demanded Theresa.

"I'm sorry." Said Juliet as she put her head down in shame.

"Good, now let's get moving!" Yelled Theresa as she ran face first into a wall. "Ah!"

Back at the mob headquarters, de Havilland and Susan were hard at work, dancing and using all their strength to lift each other in scenes reminiscent of 'An American in Paris. Alex finally yelled. "Alright! That's enough! I know you think that Jerry will come and rescue me, but honestly, it's more likely that the whole family, but him, will come for me, and he'll be too busy painting the pipes in the basement to care about me or them." Said Alex.

"Pipes in the basement are pretty dull, maybe I should paint the ones at my house." Said de Havilland.

"Me to, once I get enough money to buy paint." Said Susan. "Or, we could make paint, like stirring things together. Could that be her punishment for now?" Asked Susan.

"No, if we seek to kill Jerry Russo, yet live by his ways, then we are no better than hypocrites, and we cannot possibly kill Jerry Russo, for nobody shall turn into a hypocrisy, the nameless mob of New York City! Once he's dead, then we can paint the basement pipes." Stated the mobster.

"I'm telling you, Jerry is not coming, so why wouldn't you just go to his house and kill him there?" Asked Alex.

"That is not how the nameless mob of New York works, we do not take the easy way out. We always determine the most complicated and dangerous way to do things, and that is the way of the nameless mob of New York City City." Said the mobster.

"You said City twice." Said Susan.

"I forgot to say it the last time I said the name." Said the mobster. "But fear not, the mob will lure Jerry Russo in, in an estimated time slot, of three hours, to five weeks."

"Five weeks, do you know what I've been through in two weeks? I've gotten the jobs of mobster, janitor, I've ran off a demented man bent on killing my brother, found my boyfriend by the power of an enchanted necklace, and trust-falled Susan Lucci, you have no idea what five weeks could bring, in the time I'll be wasting here!" Yelled Alex.

"Ha, all I've done in the past two weeks is change my oil, and I paid somebody to do that, so I think you can wait to change your oil, just like I did." Said the mobster.

"Fine, waste your time and mine, because Jerry Russo, is not coming here!" Yelled Alex.

"You think wasting time is a big deal for us, well it's not, the nameless mob of New York City has all the time in the world. The nameless mob of New York City has all the time in the world." Stated de Havilland.

"You said that twice." Said Susan.

"What, he can repeat things and I can't!" Demanded de Havilland.

"I'm sorry." Said Susan in an ashamed voice.

"Yes, maybe Jerry Russo will be brought here sooner, if we subject you to more present forms of torture, like physical pain, and food deprivation, that's what we'll do." Stated the mobster.

"Uh oh." Said Alex.

At the house, everybody was hard at work in looking in the under of the staircase. "Uh, so dark I can't see a thing." Said Theresa. "Where could that stupid watch be!"

"Ha, if it hadn't been for you and dad's stupid rules about having to earn a place in the family, this never would've happened!" Yelled Justin.

"Ha, we said you had to do something of Russo-caliber to get into the family, we didn't give details, so how you become a member of the family and the consequences that go with it are not of liability of me and Jerry." Said Theresa. "You could've got just pretended to be a sibling of Justin Russo like Juliet and Mason did 'stead of stealing that damn watch." Said Theresa.

"I am Justin Russo, and I did pretend to be one of his siblings!" Yelled Justin. "Remember, I said I was three months younger than him and had the same name?"

"Ya, but you didn't help anybody with that but yourself, the Russo's only reward acts of selflessness." Said Theresa.

"Since when?" Asked Justin loudly.

"Since I got us all to work together to escape that psycho maniac and become closer." Said Juliet in a happy voice.

"Shut up Juliet." Said Max as he looked at the ground with a flashlight.

"You can't tell me what to do you shrimp!" Yelled Juliet as she threw down her flashlight.

"You think you're so much better than our family, well you're not. You wouldn't even be here if Justin didn't date you and we never would've been kidnapped." Said Max.

"Mrs. Russo, Max is being mean to me!" Whined Juliet.

"Who cares! Kramer, can you hand me some rubber gloves?" Asked Theresa.

"Sure." Said Kramer as he reached into the container and pulled out some gloves and gave them to Theresa.

"Kramer, there are three gloves, why would you give me three gloves?" Asked Theresa.

"You said some, didn't say a specific number." Responded Kramer.

"Well, I think that when somebody asks for gloves that you would assume they want two gloves, and that's because people have two hands, just in case you were wondering!" Yelled Theresa.

"Justin, Mrs. Russo is yelling at me!" Whined Kramer.

"Mom!" Yelled Justin as he looked at a box.

"I'm sorry." Said Theresa. "Ha, I found something, oh, it's just a really shiny gold colored piece of tooth."

"I knew I lost one of my fillings when you hit me!" Yelled Juliet at Theresa.

"No comment." Said Theresa as she continued to look.

"Hey, why isn't dad helping us, this is partly his fault?" Asked Justin. "Ha, what if we get a new watch and color it gold, then we could fool the police into thinking that that's the gold watch. Or we don't have to get a new watch, we can use an old one we're painting it anyway." Said Justin. The whole family stared at him. "I thought somebody should give a stupid suggestion since dad's not here, but sadly I think that's a good idea. We gonna do it?"

"I think the museum workers will know the difference between an antique golden watch and an old one that got painted gold." Stated Theresa.

"Fine, we can buy a new watch, maybe from Good Will, mom gimme your purse." Said Justin as he held out his hand.

"Okay but don't spend any of the money in it." Said Theresa as she handed him her purse. "Oh, I'll need it later to buy that new watch."

"That's what he was going to use your purse for!" Yelled Theresa.

"No, I was going to use it to buy some Spearmint, makes the breath fresh and desirable." Said Justin as he breathed out ice. "That was weird, but it wouldn't have been if I had been chewing Spearmint, Mom make with the purse! Oh, I'm holding it."

"What is wrong with you guys, you're acting so stupid, more than usual, why?" Asked Juliet. "Ha, what if we use our ice breath from the Spearmint to freeze the police who try to catch Justin, then we wouldn't need a watch, Theresa make with the purse!" Yelled Juliet.

"I got the purse!" Yelled Justin.

"Gimme that!" Yelled Juliet as she jumped on Justin and they wrestled.

"Fight, fight, fight!" Yelled Kramer.

"Uh, make it stop!" Yelled Max as tears ran down his face.

"Ha, that's Mrs. Russo to you." Said Theresa to Juliet who was on the floor.

"Wait!" Wait, why are we doing this? Maybe Alex not being here, bein' stupid, makes it necessary for one of us to act stupid to make it feel like home, but we haven't determined who should do that so we all do it." Said Justin. "Wonder where Alex is."

"Hopefully out gettin' us some Spearmint!" Yelled Juliet as she sat on the floor smoking.

"Juliet, what are you going, you don't smoke." Said Theresa.

"I do now!" Yelled Juliet. "Uh, hu, I don't like smoking, I wanna stop, where's the Spearmint!"

"Okay, we can adjust to life without Alex wherever she is, so just stop acting stupid, so we can get that Spearmint!" Yelled Justin.

"Not Spearmint, gold fillings!" Yelled Juliet.

"Right, wait, we were looking for that watch, that's what we were doing, we did it, we're not stupid anymore!" Yelled Justin.

"Great, gimme back my purse!" Yelled Theresa.

"Oh, you just want that Spearmint for yourself!" Yelled Justin as he threw the purse on to a shelf on the wall.

"Gimme the purse!" Yelled Theresa.

"Ha, you want that purse, you'll have to get through me!" Yelled Juliet. Theresa then punched her in the mouth. "Oh, my fillings!"

"Ha!" Screamed Justin. "We can use her gold fillings to color the watch, we can chip off the paint and put it on the watch, that's what we'll do!" Yelled Justin as he punched Juliet in the mouth.

"Oh, you, ha, the purse!" Yelled Juliet as her and Juliet ran for the purse. "Ha, there's no money in this purse!"

"Oh, I forgot your father never gives me any money." Said Theresa. "So."

"Ya, sorry I punched you in the mouth to steal your fillings." Said Justin.

"Sorry I planted opium in your briefcase." Said Juliet.

"Ya, what?" Asked Justin.

"Never mind." Said Juliet.

"Well, I give up!" Yelled Kramer as he threw his flashlight on the ground and it shattered.

"Somebody's gonna have to clean that up." Said Max.

"Jerry!" Yelled the family.

"Jerry, we need you to clean..." Started Theresa.

"Listen crazy lady who I assume killed my wife, you can't just barge in here, and tell me, uh, oh!" Yelled Jerry as he grabbed his head and collapsed on the floor.

"Hu!" Yelled the family.

"What happened?" Asked Juliet.

"Call an ambulance!" Yelled Justin as they went to prop Jerry up and Theresa grabbed the phone and began to dial.

 _Will the mob really torture Alex, and will it really bring Jerry there faster? Will Mason ever find Alex? Will the Russo's ever find the watch? What happened to Jerry, and will the ambulance come in time? You'll know if you read the other 356 days in the year in the life of the Russo's," I've got a secret."_


	17. Chapter 17

Wizards of Waverly Place

I've got a secret

 **Part Seventeen: Day Seventeen**

 _It was Monday, October 18, at about six o'clock a.m, and each Russo was well awake dealing with their own stresses by this hour. Alex was being tortured by her kidnappers, and everybody else was waiting in the waiting room of the hospital waiting for the doctor's diagnosis on Jerry. They were all nervous, tired and agonizing, some more presently than the others._

In the hospital waiting room, from left to right sat Kramer, Justin, Max, Theresa and Juliet, and they all looked nervous. Justin was worriedly twisting in a no-knot a piece of tissue and Theresa was comforting Max as they waited for the doctor. "Oh, I hope nothing happens to Dad." Said Justin in a low voice. "I know he gets us into these weird situations, but I don't know what we'll do without him. Mom, what do you think did this to him?"

"Well, it might have had something to do with that brick that hit him when we were running out of the chamber." Answered Theresa as she held Max's head in her arms.

"Oh, I'd hate myself if my stupid complaining caused something serious to happen to Mr. Russo, I'd never be able to forget it." Said Juliet as she held her hands together in her lap. "I mean, Jerry can be clumsy, but I always looked forward to knowing what crazy thing he was planning next and following what he was doing to accomplish it."

"Ya, remember how he always used to make coffee, and he'd always put in one of his favorite foods for flavor?" Asked Justin, trying to smile.

"Ya, or how he always left his keys in the car and spent hours looking for them?" Asked Max quietly.

"Ya, he always had a way of lightening up everybody's day." Said Theresa in a sweet voice.

"How he helped me win back that necklace, ya know it's times like this that make ya see what's really important in life." Stated Kramer.

"Juliet, I'm sorry I punched you in the mouth to try to steal your fillings." Said Justin across the other people.

"Thanks, and I'm sorry I tried to sell you to slave-traders when you lost my light-blocking necklace." Said Juliet.

"Ya… what?" Said Justin.

"Never mind." Said Juliet not even looking at him. "Where is that doctor, we've been waiting for hours."

"I'm sure they're just finishing up with some tests and should be out soon." Said Theresa.

The doctor then walked out the side door and was carrying a bowl of soup. "Mm, that's some good chowder, how ya doin'?" Asked the doctor.

"Fine, what are you eating?" Asked Justin.

"Chowder, the cafeteria makes the best in the city, want some?" Asked the doctor as he put out his spoon and chowder fell on the floor.

"We've been waiting worried to death for you to tell us about my husband, and you've been in the cafeteria, eating chowder?!" Demanded Theresa.

"Ya, wish we knew there was a cafeteria, I'm starving." Said Juliet as she started for the door.

"Wait! Juliet, he's going to tell us about Jerry." Said Justin.

"Oh, I'm sorry, so what's wrong, doctor?" Asked Juliet.

"Well, he has received damage to his brain, presumably from some massive tension in his head." Said the doctor.

"When that brick fell from the ceiling and it hit him in the head." Said Max.

"Ya, that'll do it." Said the doctor. "Well, this tension has caused a major fracture in his brain, in fact, it was completely taken out a section of his brain, known as the Cerebralis Dorphus."

"I have never heard of that." Stated Justin.

"Well, it's not a part of the brain that holds memory, but it is essential for the rest of the brain to function properly. A person can survive with a half of the section, but he has had both parts of it damaged, and without it, well, his body will not be able to work properly."

"What are you saying, doctor?" Asked Kramer as he jumped to his feet.

"If he does not get this part of his brain replaced, he will remain in a coma, and eventually die." Said the doctor.

"Oh no, is there anything we can do?" Asked Theresa trying to hold back tears.

"Well, since one only needs half of the Cerebralis, it is possible for a family member to do a transplant, that is the only way." Stated the doctor.

"Can I do it?" Asked Max.

"No, nobody under fifteen can do the transplant. If a transplant is done with a Cerebralis too young, then the person may end up worse than he was without one." Said the doctor.

"Well, then we'd better leave him then." Said Max as he sat down.

"No, I'll do the transplant, doctor." Said Justin.

"Justin, are you sure?" Asked Theresa.

"Sure, he's my dad, and I'd do anything to help him." Said Justin.

"Alright, first we'll need to do some tests, to make sure your mental stability is in proper condition, then we can do the transplant as early as tomorrow." Said the doctor.

"Alright, and after that he'll be alright?" Asked Justin.

"Yes, the surgery is very simple, the only risk we have is something unusual and highly abnormal happening to ruin it, besides that, he'll be fine." Said the doctor.

"Well, that sounds like a pretty good bet, we'll do the surgery." Said Theresa.

"Good, we'll need five minutes for the tests, and I'll have the results to you tonight. I wish you the best of luck." Said the doctor.

"Oh, thank you so much, doctor." Said Juliet as she shook his hand.

"You're welcome, ha, that's a nice necklace, where'd you get it?"

"Uh, nowhere." Said Juliet.

"Alright, I'll see you in a minute, before then you are free to visit our cafeteria." Said the doctor as he left for his office.

"Ya!" Yelled the Russo's as they ran for the cafeteria. Then a sign went up that read 'closed'. "Ah."

"What kind of cafeteria closes at six a.m?" Asked Justin.

"This one." Said Theresa.

At the warehouse, Alex was sitting, tied to a chair, and was breathing heavily. "Hu, hu, I'm starving, can't you give me something to eat?!" Demanded Alex.

"No! The less mercy the mob shows you, the closer we get to catching Jerry Russo!" Yelled the mobster.

"Okay, can you at least turn the heat down, it must be like a hundred and fifteen degrees in here." Stated Alex.

"One hundred and twenty six, to be exact." Said de Havilland. "Mm, this is some good bratwurst." Said de Havilland as he ate a giant bratwurst on a bun.

"Ya, and this is some good sherbet." Said the mobster as he ate some sherbet. "Bluh!" He yelled as he spat it out.

"Ya, I don't eat, but look how cool I am with this ice water." Said Susan as she poured it all over her head. "Ah," Said Susan, whose hair was all messed up, and her makeup and lipstick were running. "That's refreshing."

"Uh, you think all this insanity is going to make my dad come faster, it's not. He probably doesn't even know where I am, let alone what you're doing to me." Stated Alex.

"Well, shut up! We work how we feel will work, and doing that has kept us a functioning mob, for over eighty years!" Yelled the mobster.

"Ya, remember the mobs in Gangs of New York, they were both based on us." Said de Havilland.

"No they weren't, those were real mobs from the fifties, I've read about them." Said Alex.

"Those mobs were ripped off of us, they get all the glory because they actually have names, well if we had a name, we'd have movies being made out of us like no muggle's business." Said de Havilland.

"What, muggle?" Asked Alex.

"A muggle is somebody who is not a member of our mob." Stated the mobster.

"In other words all but five people on earth?" Asked Alex.

"Well, yes, but still, we are very powerful, and we know what we're doing! Don't contradict us anymore!" Yelled the mobster.

"Ya, you better watch yourself, or we'll kill you and use your body as a human shield!" Yelled Susan.

"That's from The Departed." Said Alex in a mad voice.

"They stole that from us too, so many people are so desperate for ideas." Said de Havilland.

"Gangs of New York and The Departed were made by the same person." Said Alex.

"No they weren't!" Yelled the mobster.

"Ya, and Goodfellas." Stated de Havilland. "I'm sorry."

"Ya, I know my mob stuff, I even ran Ray Liotta out of my house when he wanted to kill my brother." Stated Alex.

"He's not a real mobster, he just played one in a movie!" Yelled the mobster.

"What about Daniel Day-Louis?" Asked Alex.

"Now him, he's a real mobster, that just happened to be in a mob movie." Said de Havilland. "Like if I was in a mob movie, like that."

"You guys are insane." Said Alex.

"-No comment." Said Susan.

Back at the house, the Russos had been back from the tests for some time and were getting back to their normal lives. "Ha, once Mr. Russo is better, and we find that watch, we're pretty much out of problems right?" Asked Juliet.

"Ya, unless somebody sends another crazy guy to kill us!" Yelled Theresa.

"Well, now that we don't have any weird stuff to get in our way, we can start to do normal things, for example, now Justin and I can start a serious relationship. Right, Justin?" Asked Juliet.

"Actually, I was thinking that after this is all over that I should get back to wizard training, the Wizard Competition is in a few months, maybe after that." Said Justin.

"I can't wait that long, what am I supposed to do in the mean time?" Asked Juliet.

"I don't know, isn't there something you always wanted to do, always dreamed of doing it?" Asked Justin.

"Well, I always wanted to be a hiker, you know, like on canyons and stuff, rock climbing, maybe that's what I'll do." Said Juliet.

"Ya bet they have a ton of rock climbing courses in New York City." Said Theresa sarcastically.

"I'll find some way of doing it, we always find a way to achieve our dreams." Said Juliet.

"Sure." Said Max as he stacked spoons on the table. "Yes!" Justin then pushed it over. "Ah."

"Ha, what am I going to do once Jerry's all better?" Asked Kramer.

"The mob still wants to kill you." Stated Theresa.

"You're right, as long as I've got that going for me, I don't have to do anything." Said Kramer as he leaned back on the couch and drank hot bean juice.

"Well, I'm going to work on finding that watch, once I do that, I'll be able to live off accomplishing my life goal at 35 for years! Wow, we're all making breakthroughs, me with my life's purpose, Juliet with her rock climbing, Kramer with, people wanting to kill him, what about you Justin?" Asked Theresa.

"Well, I'm helping dad to not die, there's something, and after I win the Wizard Competition I'll be able to do more than I ever imagined."

"Ha, what makes you think you're going to win? What if I win?" Asked Max.

"What?" Asked Justin.

"Ya, I know." Said Max as he sat back on the couch.

"So, what do we do until Jerry's better?" Asked Theresa. "Well, I've got the watch thing, so you're all on your own." Said Theresa as she went under the stairs.

"Ha, what about Alex, we should find her, you know until we have free time to do something else." Said Justin. "So, if we could only remember what she said right before we left, then we could find her like that, anybody?" Asked Justin.

"I was too busy thinking about rock climbing." Said Juliet.

"You just brought it up today!" Yelled Justin.

"I know, but I've been thinking of it ever since I was a young girl and saw my first rock." Said Juliet.

"Ya, I've been thinking about finding that watch since Justin said we needed to find it." Said Theresa from under the stairs.

"Back to looking!" Yelled Kramer.

"Sorry!" Yelled Theresa.

"Well, I'll help her look for the watch, this Alex thing is a lost cause, and then I'll be able to go out without the police chasing me all the time." Said Justin.

"Why don't they put out a warrant for your arrest, that's what I'd do if I wanted to arrest somebody." Said Juliet.

"No, the police don't want the public to know that security measures at a museum with a million dollar watch are so weak that a teenager could break in and steal something." Said Justin. "I'll be under the stairs." Said Justin as he went under the stairs. Juliet, Kramer and Max just stood there, then they ran into the under of the stairs.

At the warehouse, the mobster was staring at the window, looking weary. "Any minute now, I see him coming, I can smell him." Said the mobster.

"I think you're a little tired, I know I start seeing and smelling people who aren't there when I get tired, want some coffee?" Asked de Havilland as he poured a cup of hot bean juice.

"No, I don't want to be under the control of anything when I meet Jerry Russo face to face, I'm going out." Said the mobster as he grabbed his bag and started for the door.

"To buy a ton of guns and ammo?" Asked Alex in an assured voice.

"How would you know?!" Demanded Susan.

"That's what Ray did when he had waited long for my brother, pretty soon you'll be running all over town, buying out their gun stores, tearing apart houses to find him, only to have me fool you into traveling the world in search of the only gun and bullet that can kill Jerry." Stated Alex.

"What, what is this gun, where can I find it!" Demanded the mobster.

"That's how it went." Said Alex. "Well, you can starve me, boil me, and do whatever you want, sooner or later you'll go insane and I'll just trick you like I did with Ray." Stated Alex.

"Oh no, no I'm not, not again, we are going to step up our game!" Yelled the mobster. "de Havilland, get me my berating stick!"

"Okay, here." Said de Havilland as he handed him the stick.

"I wanted to get it." Whined Susan.

"What do you think you are going to do, with some stupid..." Started Alex as the mobster pulled his arm back and slashed Alex across the face with the whip. "Ah, ah, oh!" Groaned Alex as she shook her head in pain.

"Now you see, the mob always gets its man, one way or another." Said the mobster.

"Uh, hu, hu." Breathed Alex as she looked up fearfully at the mobster and the whip.

That night at the house, they were all sitting around bored as Theresa looked all over the closet. "Ah, there it is, no, just a rat, there, ah." Said Theresa as she kept on.

"This is boring, I wish something would..." Started Justin as there was a loud knock at the door.

Juliet went to answer it. "Mason, you're back!" Yelled Juliet as she went to hug him.

"Hi." Said Mason as he shoved her on the ground and went up to Justin. "Justin, Alex and I met in the forest, she was taken, by three men, and I can't find her anywhere, I need your help."

"What? Taken? Who would want to take Alex?" Asked Theresa from the closet.

"Watch!" Yelled Max.

"Sorry!" Yelled Theresa.

"Ha, I know you, you're Alex's twin brother who she was dating, ya I still say that's just wrong." Said Kramer.

"Mr. Kramer, we're not really twins, we just said that to fool Ray, remember?" Asked Mason.

"-No."

"Well, I'd love to help you, but I have prior engagements right now, maybe later." Said Justin.

"But Justin..." Started Mason as he followed Justin.

"Well I give up, ha, Mason." Said Theresa.

"Hello, Mrs. Russo."

"Ha!" Yelled the doctor as he busted through the door.

"Doctor, what are you doing here?" Asked Theresa.

"I had to rush here to tell you some very serious news! Ha, want some chowder?" Asked the doctor.

"Serious, what is it? Does it have to do with my brain?" Asked Justin.

"Well yes and no, ya see, ha, that's one nice necklace, where'd you get that?" Asked the doctor.

"We went through this already." Said Juliet.

"Well, I didn't hear it." Said Mason. Everybody stared. Sorry."

"Doctor, what's the matter with my brain?!" Demanded Justin.

"Oh nothing, lovely mind, nice activity." Said the doctor. He stood there while they stared.

"Well, what was your news?!" Yelled Theresa.

"Oh, well your mind is fine, but the problem is that only a family member can do the transplant." Said the doctor.

"What are you talking about, I'm his son, what's this all about?" Asked Justin.

"Well you're not according to these tests." Said the doctor.

"What, that can't be r..." Started Justin.

"Justin, these tests don't make mistakes, they're 100% accurate, Justin, you are not Jerry Russo's son." Justin just stood there in disbelief. The whole group did the same.

 _What will the mob do to Alex to get to Jerry? Will Mason find her in time? Is Justin really not Jerry's son? If not, whose is he? Who will do the transplant? You'll know if you read the other 356 days in the year in the life of the Russo's, "I've got a secret."_


	18. Chapter 18

Wizards of Waverly Place

I've got a secret

 **Part Eighteen: Day Eighteen**

 _It was Tuesday, October 19, and none of the Russo's were able to get any sleep the preceding night due to all the tension that faced them from the day before. Be it food deprivation, genetic questioning, or physical berating, each person in the family had a lot to be concerned about._

Theresa and Juliet were both sitting around nervously when Mason walked in. "Ha, is he here yet? He said he'd be here at eight o'clock and it's almost nine." Said Mason.

"I don't know, he's the head of the Wizard Council, he could be held up with some pressing issues of magical proportions." Stated Juliet.

"Oh, what could be more important than finding out about my son, how could they say Justin isn't mine?" Asked Theresa frantically.

"Who knows, with us all sorts of weird things happen, but never anything like this. Oh I hope he hurries up, I just can't understand how this could be true." Said Juliet.

"And, hu, if Justin isn't our son, then who's going to do the transplant and save Jerry, Alex still isn't back, and she's been gone for five days." Said Theresa.

"Oh I hope Alex makes it back here, if only I knew who those men were that stole her right before my eyes. I just couldn't bear to lose her, not without telling her, well you know." Said Mason to Juliet.

"What are you talking about?" Asked Theresa.

"Well, a while ago, Mason and I dated, and we never told Alex or Justin about it." Said Juliet. "I was going to tell him as soon as this whole watch thing was over, but now that all this has happened I can't tell him. Mrs. Russo how do you think Justin will take it?"

"I don't know, I mean I used to think I'd know, but now that I know I don't know my son, I don't know what he'd think anymore." Said Theresa. "Uh, first I lose one of my children, now I know my son's not my son, how can I go from three children to one in less than a week?" Asked Theresa.

"Ha, I went from a whole family to two parents lost somewhere in the forest in a matter of thirty-six hours, I know how you feel." Said Mason as he hugged Theresa.

"Ya, Alex always meant well, whether she was bringing mobsters to lunch, or killing an entire family, she always meant well, I hope she makes it back, now that I have learned to appreciate her insane actions. Ya know this never would've happened if you hadn't run away from home!" Yelled Theresa.

"And I never would've run away if she didn't get my family killed." Retorted Mason.

"Alright you win." Said Theresa. "Ha where is that man! We've been waiting for twenty-six minutes and forty two, three seconds!" Yelled Theresa.

"What's going on, is he here yet, it's almost nine o'clock." Said Justin. "Oh this is crazy, how can something like this happen, of course I'm your son, I mean I have a birth certificate, the same last name, and a world's best son mug, which you gave me."

"I know, why do things like this always happen to us!" Demanded Theresa. "I mean, first I lose Alex, then the thing with Juliet and Mason and now this!"

"Ya, maybe we're just a family that fate, what thing with Mason and Juliet?" Asked Justin.

"You know, Mason got his family killed." Said Juliet in a fast and nervous voice.

"And just look at Juliet." Said Mason.

"Ha." Said Juliet.

There was a knock at the door. "It's open!" Yelled Theresa.

The door was opened and a tall man walked in a suit, with slick black hair and a suitcase. "It's Aslam!" Yelled the family.

"Where have you been?!" Demanded Theresa. "We've been waiting for a half hour."

"Sorry, my wand was out of miles, so I have to take a ninety minute bus ride sitting between a bearded man and a deer!" Proclaimed Aslam. "So, why don't we get down to business." Said Aslam as he sat down.

"Where are your vests, your lion hat, your wand?" Asked Justin.

"Ha, you know how people react to somebody on a bus with a lion hat and a wooden wand? They are not as respectful as an audience of magical creatures, that's why I hate mortals!" Yelled Aslam.

"Thank you." Said Theresa.

"I'm sorry." Said Aslam.

"Ha, if you're the head of the Wizard Council, then you're the one who ordered my family to be killed." Said Mason.

"Well I did have a mob have a gang of werewolves be killed once, and, oh, that was your family. This is awkward." Said Aslam.

"Alright, can we get back to business?" Asked Justin.

"Alright, what's going on?" Asked Aslam.

"The thing with Justin not being Jerry's son!" Yelled Juliet.

"Well excuse me! You know I don't have the memory of a vampire." Said Aslam.

"So, what could be the explanation for this?" Asked Theresa. "I mean, I gave birth to him, I should know most of all."

"Well, I don't know, wait! I have heard of cases, though very rare, of children of wizards being replaced with others." Stated Aslam.

"That can happen?" Asked Justin.

"Yes, especially when the mother happens to be mortal. It can only be done by dark magic, so we have a dark wizard responsible, if that is the case." Said Aslam.

"Who would want to do something like that?" Asked Theresa. "And if that is what happened, then that means..." Started Theresa.

"Yes, if this is the case, then that means your real son is still out there." Stated Aslam.

"Well, how can we find out where her real son is?" Asked Juliet.

"Well, there's no way of finding him, but fortunately there is a way to find who Justin's real parents are, with a few simple DNA tests." Said Aslam.

"Really, that's great." Proclaimed Justin.

"Justin, are you sure you want to do this?" Asked Theresa.

"Sure, I mean, if I don't I'll never know who I really am. So when can we do it?" Asked Justin.

"Later this afternoon, and with luck we'll have the results in a few days." Said Aslam.

"Alright, we might as well do it, but there's no way of finding who my real son is?" Asked Theresa.

"I'm afraid not, the only way would be if another person came out with this, and the tests just happen to match with your and Jerry's DNA, but it is very unlikely." Said Aslam.

"Mrs. Russo, I'm so sorry." Said Mason.

"Me to, well, at least now we understand this a little better." Said Theresa.

"Yes, I'll be back at noon, until then take my lucky spade, you need it a lot more than I do." Said Aslam as he handed her his spade.

"Great, another one of these stupid things." Said Juliet.

"She means thank you, your Aslamness." Said Justin.

"You're welcome, well, bye." Said Aslam as he ran out the door. "Ah!" Yelled Aslam as he fell down the stairs.

"This is nuts, who would want to take my son?" Asked Theresa. "I bet it was that crazy target-faced man."

"Oh, first I kill Jerry and now this?" Said Juliet as she put her face in her hands.

"Juliet, that man didn't know us before six days ago, there's no way he'd want to do something like this." Said Justin.

"Well, somehow as of recent, everything that happens to us is always my fault." Said Juliet.

"Ha, when's Aslam coming?" Asked Max.

"He just left." Said Mason.

"Ah, I missed it all!" Said Max as he walked away angrily.

"Missed who?" Asked Kramer as he walked in.

"Aslam." Said Juliet.

"Ah, I missed him, ah!" Yelled Kramer as he slammed his head into the wall.

Back at the warehouse, Alex was sitting in the chair, her hair was messed up, she seemed thinner, and was breathing heavy. "Huh, huh, please, why are you doing these things to me?" Asked Alex as she struggled to speak through her pain.

"Because, with the rate this is going at, Jerry will be back here is a matter of hours, maybe days, weeks." Whispered the mobster.

"Listen, I can tell you, that doing these things is not going to make him come here any faster! For some reason I don't think he'll be coming at all, because he has no idea where I am!" Yelled Alex. "Why can't you just think for a minute, and realize that your plan is not as well-thought-through as you assume?" Asked Alex.

"Ha, nobody, and I mean nobody! Tells the nameless mob of New York City what to do, so just leave your torture to us, and you just sit there and take it!" Yelled the mobster.

"I don't know, I mean, how will Jerry Russo ever know where to find her?" Asked de Havilland. "I mean I knew where she was and it took me five hours to find this place, maybe it was all that clear wine I had last night."

"Clear wine I love that stuff, you can drink it on the bus and the police will believe it's water." Said Susan. "Ha, let's force her to make clear wine, we can ferment it under a steam iron!" Proclaimed Susan.

"No! No clear wine until Jerry Russo is a rug near my fire place, but no literally, I find people rugs get you in bad with the EPA." Said the mobster.

"I don't care about you clear wine, I'm just saying that beating me isn't making anybody any closer to their goals." Stated Alex.

"It is for me, my goal of seeing Alex Russo miserable, just as much as I am." Said Susan as she twisted a napkin.

"Alright, but can I go to the bathroom, I haven't gone in three days." Said Alex.

"Fine, I think there's a tree outside." Said the mobster.

"You sure, we are in a forest?" Asked Susan. "Sorry sir."

At the house, Juliet was looking through some pamphlets. "Ha, look at all the rock climbing classes they offer here in New York, that means my life goal is possible, not like your life goal of having purpose in your life." Said Juliet.

"Thank you, I don't know what this family would've done if you hadn't been here for this whole ordeal." Said Theresa. "Why do you want to be a rock climber?"

"Because, you've seen those movies where people climb mountains, and save people from caverns, and, wasn't Cliffhanger good?" Asked Juliet.

"No." Said Mason.

"All I want is to get married, have one kid, just like me, and make a billion dollars." Said Justin.

"That was my goal." Said Theresa. "Then I realized I'd have to go to all these life coaching classes, just too much work." Said Theresa.

"Ha, once Justin makes a billion dollars, he can pay for all those classes." Said Mason to Juliet.

"Ya, I don't know." Said Juliet.

"Sure you do, if we get married I'll go along with whatever crazy thing you decide to do." Said Justin.

"Ya, about that, maybe we should break up." Said Juliet.

"What, why?" Asked Justin.

"Well, now that I find out you're not really who I thought you were, I just don't know about this." Said Juliet.

"Juliet, you know who I am, you just don't know who my parents are." Said Justin.

"Ya, but that means I won't know how you look when you get older, and I can't go into a relationship not knowing that." Said Juliet.

"What, you thought Jerry was my dad and you still dated me." Said Justin.

"Ya, but I figured my looks would make up for yours." Said Juliet.

"Ya your mom is pretty hot." Said Justin.

"I know, but who knows, your parents could be a bald man and a bearded woman, I can't make up for that." Said Juliet.

"Ha, don't make fun of my son's parents." Said Theresa.

"I would be honored to marry your daughter if she grows to look like you Mrs. Russo." Said Mason.

"That is the nicest thing anybody has ever said about Alex relating to me." Said Theresa.

"Ha, do you think Justin's parents are as boring as he is?" Asked Max.

"Ha, nobody's even met my parents and they're already making jokes, you are a mean family." Said Justin.

"Ha, you were in this family twenty four hours ago." Stated Kramer.

"I know, ha where do you think Alex is, since we're not related, we will have to find her so they can do the surgery on Jerry." Said Justin.

"Ya, I wish I could've done something, then we'd have one less thing to worry about, oh this is all my fault, even the Justin thing." Said Mason.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, it's punishment enough that Alex might be dead now." Said Juliet.

"Yer right, ha, without Alex I don't know what I'm going to do, I mean I can't come up with insane ideas like Alex did, oh I hope she's okay." Said Mason.

"Uh, uh, uh." Said Alex as she was whipped by the mobster. "Uh, this is awful, I wish Jerry would come so I could die already!" Yelled Alex.

"That's right, now that we both want the same thing, it is much more likely to happen!" Proclaimed the mobster.

"Uh, where could he be, they would usually be here by now, something must be wrong." Stated Alex.

"Uh." Said de Havilland as he and Susan heated a liquid over a steam iron.

"What are you doing?!" Yelled the mobster.

"Nothing!" Yelled Susan as they dropped the liquid, the iron short-circuited and steam came out.

Later at the house, the group was sitting around when Aslam walked in. "Ha everybody!"

"What do you want?" Asked Juliet in an annoyed voice.

"I have come here with the test results." Said Aslam.

"What, you said it would be days, days." Said Mason.

"Yes, don't things have a way of working out in the end? Well, not really, I mean you still don't know who your son is, and the Alex thing, and that whole thing with the economy, but I got the results." Said Aslam.

"I guess he's right." Said Max.

"Things do work out, I mean, if Jerry never had the same name as my Jerry, I'd still be in a crummy apartment, but now, I'm in a palace!" Proclaimed Kramer.

"Hello, anybody remember my real parents?" Asked Justin.

"Ya know, if I never met Jerry, and we never had my supposed son, my purpose of finding that golden watch would never have been realized." Said Theresa.

"Ya, if I never entered the Wizard Council leader elections, I never would have gotten my new wand, and well, it's a nice wand, uh." Said Aslam as he sat down and smoked.

"Hello!" Yelled Justin.

"Hi, oh! The results, ya, I got em' right here, and they are a doozee." Said Aslam as he pulled out the papers.

"Really?" Asked Juliet.

"Oh yes, the most fascinating results I've ever delivered, and I deliver results, regularly." Stated Aslam.

"Whoa." Said Mason.

"Well what does it say?" Asked Theresa.

"Well Justin, it turns out, from these tests, that you are not in fact Justin Russo, you are really, James Dodreick, son of Ignaceous and Gatling Dodreick." Stated Aslam.

"What, are you serious?" Asked Justin.

"Yes, these tests say so, and they don't make mistakes." Said Aslam.

"The, Ignaceous Dodreick, the famous wizard, of the Four of the Great Circle?" Asked Justin.

"Yes, Justin is in fact his son, isn't that interesting?" Asked Aslam.

"I'll say." Said Juliet. "Oh, he's really old, now I don't know." Said Juliet.

"Ya, I once dated a girl, but her mom was old, so I said nu-uh." Said Aslam.

"Wow, Justin this is great, you must be so excited." Said Theresa in a low voice.

"I am, oh, at least something good came of this." Said Justin.

"Wow, so you're like a celebrity?" Asked Max.

"Can I have you autograph?" Asked Kramer.

"Back off!" Yelled Mason.

"Thank you Mason, wow, this is amazing." Said Mason.

"Yes, now on to other business, Justin, being the son of the Dodreicks, and being an only child, you are eligible for becoming a full wizard, as of your seventeenth birthday." Said Aslam.

"I am seventeen." Said Justin in an excited voice.

"Alright, let's get to the Wizard City Hall, and get on with the process." Said Aslam.

"Um, sir." Said Theresa.

"Yes Mrs. Russo?" Asked Aslam.

"Well, Justin, was my first born son, he has been for seventeen years, and, no amount of science or magic is going to take away the times that we had, so, could I please come, and watch my son become a man, the last thing we'll ever do together." Said Theresa.

"Sure, and your son is welcome to." Said Aslam.

"Thank you." Said Justin.

"Yep, I'll fire up the minivan." Said Aslam as he left.

At the warehouse, Alex was using the steam iron to heat through the ropes when the mobster walked in. "Ah! Hi." Said Alex as she dropped the iron.

"Hello, I am here to say I am leaving for the night, and don't even try to escape, for I'll know!" Yelled the mobster.

"Okay, by." Said Alex. The mobster closed the door slowly. "What a loser, uh, oh, hot iron! Ah!" Said Alex as she shook her hands.

At the house, Theresa was sitting on the terrace, and Justin walked up to her. "Mom." Said Justin.

"Ya, Justin, or, maybe I should start calling you James." Said Theresa.

"Tomorrow, mom, I was thinking, and, I'm not moving out, I mean, even though I know you're not my real mom, you're been there for me for my whole life, and I think that's more important than any biological proof." Said Justin.

"Thank you Justin, and no matter what, I'll always think of you as my son." Said Theresa as she hugged him.

"Thanks, so, want some coffee?" Asked Justin.

"Sure, I think there's a shop down the street." Said Theresa. Her and Justin then got up and walked off into the night, as mother and son.

 _Will Alex escape the mob in time to save Jerry? Will Justin be able to adjust to his life now that he knows he's a celebrity? Will Theresa ever find her real son? You'll know if you read the other 356 days in the year in the life of the Russo's, "I've got a secret."_


	19. Chapter 19

Wizards of Waverly Place

I've got a secret

 **Part Nineteen: Day Nineteen**

 _It was Wednesday, October 20, day nineteen in the year in the life of the Russo's, and though things were not going as they had planned, and things had definitely taken an unexpected turn of events, things were looking up for the Russo's for the first time in a long time, well, for most of them. Aside from Alex's physical abuse and food deprivation, the group was finding these newfound things to be acceptable, and even an improvement to their unfortunate lives, for now that is._

There was much excitement for Theresa, Max, Kramer, and especially James, to learn that his parents were famous wizards, Ignaceous and Gatling Dodreick, making him not only a celebrity, but not also a full wizard, which comes with more power than any of us can ever imagine. This was exciting for all, except for Mason and Juliet, who had other things on their minds to worry about. "Mason, do you really think now is the time to tell them? I mean, they're so happy." Said Juliet. "Do we really want to ruin it for them now?"

"Well, it seems no matter how good things get for us, sooner or later something else comes along to ruin it, so we might as well ruin it before that. I mean, better us than something else." Said Mason.

"I guess that makes sense, or was too long for me to want it explained again." Said Juliet.

"Besides, this is important that we tell them, and now that they know who James' parents are he'll take it a little easier. How bad could it really be?"

"Well, I mean how would you feel if you found out your sister's boyfriend had dated your girlfriend?" Asked Juliet.

"Well, my sister is twenty seven years old, so I would not appreciate Alex dating a man that much older than her, but this is slightly different. I don't know what to do. I wish Alex was here to tell me what to do." Whined Mason.

"This is why we broke up, you can never make decisions for yourself." Said Juliet.

"What, I always made decisions, all the time." Responded Mason.

"Oh ya, why did we break up then?" Asked Juliet.

"I don't know." Said Mason.

"Ha there, don't know either of your names." Said Kramer as he walked down stairs. "Now, you're the, housekeepers aren't you?"

"No, we're dating Alex and James." Said Mason. "Well, she's dating James, I'm dating Alex."

"At least mine is around." Said Juliet quietly.

"What?" Asked Mason.

"I didn't say anything. Ha, I decided to take some classes, on rock climbing, so I can finally realize my dreams, of hiking the rocky plains, or, I can't remember what it was, but I'm gonna do it!" Yelled Juliet.

"Okay, just wanted to know what your names were, and I still don't." Said Kramer.

"Mr. Kramer, how do you think we should go about telling James that we've dated before? I don't know how he'll take it, because my sister is so much older than his, and I've never found out about new parents of mine, what do you think?" Asked Mason.

"What, you think he's going to be able to relate to those scenarios?" Asked Juliet.

"Ha, what makes you think I can't relate to that?" Asked Kramer angrily.

"Can you?" Asked Mason.

"No." Said Kramer.

"It doesn't matter how he would react to it, we have to tell him no matter what." Said Mason.

"Wha, you're the one who asked Kramer how he'd feel!" Yelled Juliet. "You always contradict the things you say."

"No I don't, this is kinda the first time." Said Mason unenthusiastically.

"That settles it, as soon as we see James, we tell him!" Yelled Juliet as she slammed her fist on the table.

"Thank you Mr. Kramer." Said Mason as he shook his hand.

"You're welcome." Said Kramer as he shook Mason's hand. "Now, wait, you never told me what your names were."

"If we told you our names, would you really know us better?" Asked Juliet.

"I guess not, I'm sorry." Said Kramer as he sat on the couch. "Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

"Don't sit down for the rest of the day." Answered Mason.

"Alright." Said Kramer as he stood up.

"Ha, anybody seen James?" Asked Theresa as she walked in.

"No, we really want to see him too, kind of important." Said Juliet.

"Hi guys." Said Max as he walked in.

"Ha Max, have you seen James today?" Asked Theresa.

"Ya, we really got to talk to him." Said Juliet.

"I hope he's in a good mood." Said Mason.

"I hope he knows where to get a back brace." Said Kramer as he rubbed his back.

"Ha why all the sudden is James the most important person in the house? I mean twenty-four hours ago he didn't even know his real name. Why doesn't anybody want to talk to me?" Asked Max.

"I'm sorry Max." Said Mason.

"Ya, we just needed to tell something to James." Said Juliet.

"And I don't care who I talk to, long as they know where to find back braces." Said Kramer.

"-Ya I just wanted to see James, he's pretty normal and not insane." Said Theresa.

"Ya!" Yelled the group.

"We're not insane!" Yelled Mason. "Uh, uh." Groaned Mason as he scrubbed his hands with bar soap and scrubbed his shirt.

"I, am so sorry, I am sorry, about, everyth..." Started Juliet into a camera with no lens or tape.

"Show me all the blueprints!" Screamed Kramer as he clenched his back.

"It's, so cold, can't, feel..." Started Max as he shivered and rubbed his arms.

"Ah! You idiots! Be, sorry, the year 1996!" Screamed Theresa. "Ha, never said I wasn't insane."

"What's all the insane yelling?" Asked James as he walked in.

"Ha, do you know where I can find a back brace?" Asked Kramer.

"No, I don't think there's such a thing." Said James.

"Ah, I have to stand all day, do you know what that's going to do to my back!" Screamed Kramer.

"Why don't you just lean on something?" Suggested Juliet.

"Ha thanks, is that okay Mason?" Asked Kramer.

"No." Answered Mason quietly with his arms crossed and a serious look on his face.

"Ah! Well I'm gonna get some breakfast, ah, almost nine, I'll wait." Said Kramer as he walked off and clenched his stomach. "Ah!"

"Oh, I almost forgot about that watch, it's my purpose in life to find it, who wants to help!" Asked Theresa enthusiastically.

"I wish I could, but I really don't want to." Said Juliet.

"Fine, I never liked you, James, you've always been like a son to me..." Started Theresa.

"No, James can't help you, he's busy." Said Mason quickly.

"No I'm not." Stated James.

"Well you are now, we need to speak to you Ju-I mean James." Said Juliet.

"Okay, sorry mo, I mean, Mrs. Russo." Said James.

"Fine, nobody wants to help me with my purpose in life, what about all the times I've helped you?" Demanded Theresa.

"You've never helped us with our lives, you've never done a damn thing to help anyone been too freakin' busy with that stupid closet, or solving Max's problems, or that watch, it's all been about you!" Yelled Juliet.

"Just coulda said no, don't have to yell." Said Theresa as she left for the under of the stairs.

"Why didn't she ask me to help?" Asked Max.

"You're no help to anybody." Commented Juliet.

"That's right." Said Max.

"So what did you have to tell me?" Asked James.

"Oh, uh, what we had, to tell you, is, uh..." Started Juliet.

"What are you waiting for, just tell him that, uh, you're right, maybe now isn't the best time." Said Mason.

"What do you mean now isn't the time, are you going to tell me, or not?" Asked James loudly.

"No." Said Juliet.

"Well okay, now, I know things have changed a little, with the discovery that who I think I am is all a lie, but we have to work around that, and get back to our present lives." Said James.

"Good idea, now, since things have changed in this category, when we get married do you still want me to take your last name, because, well, look at it, hu." Laughed Juliet.

"Uh, not what I was referring to, but we can talk about that later." Said James.

"Oh there won't be much to talk about." Said Juliet.

"Ah, now, things around here are starting to look up, and we only have a few things to work out, there's the watch thing, Theresa has that covered, and the only other thing is Da-I mean Jerry. Now that we know I'm not his son, and Max is too young, the only person who can do the transplant is Alex, so once we find her we can move on with ourselves." Said James.

"Sounds good, the only question is, how do we find her?" Asked Mason. "I saw the people who took her, but I have no idea who they are, I just don't know."

"Well don't get too frantic, the doctor said we have time, a week at the least were his exact words, it shouldn't take that long, but where do we start? We've always had some sort of lead, something that links people to kidnaps, but this time we have nothing, I don't know how we're going to do this." Said Juliet.

"We've faced things harder than this, I'm sure we'll find a way, we always have, I mean bad things happen to us, but they always get better, that's the way it's always been." Said James.

"You're right, I guess we'll just have to wait, until we think of something or until something is given to us. Stated Juliet. For now all we can do is think of how our lives are going to change as a result of all of this."

"Well, all that's really happened is Justin has a new name, and none of us will have anybody trying to arrest or kill us, besides Mr. Russo, Kramer, maybe James if she doesn't find the watch, so not much." Said Mason.

"Well, I'm now a full wizard, which means there are no questions about finalizing our relationship one day, no risk of me becoming a mortal." Said James.

"Ya, I guess it is nice, knowing what we're involved in could turn into something serious, and we can start a real relationship now." Said Juliet. "But now right now, because now is the time for me to focus on my life's goal, of becoming a rock climber, look at all these pamphlets I got. I know everything we try to do is hard, but I feel that this can really happen, see, my life's purpose is achieved by paying some money and taking a few simple classes, little work, take that Mrs. Russo!" Yelled Juliet.

"Oh shut up!" Yelled Theresa quickly.

"Well, I guess now that we have some time off I should start looking for a job in the Wizard World. I'd look for one in the real world, no, why do they call it the real world, wizard one's real, anyway, I'd look for one in our world, but the wizard currency is worth ten times what it is here, plus they use American bills." Said James.

"Maybe Mark Wahlberg's a wizard, with his acting talent, there's no way he could be that rich." Stated Juliet sourly.

"Na, ya get that kind of money when ya work and get three kinds of welfare at the same time." Retorted James.

"So Mason, what are you going to do once this is all cleared up?" Asked Juliet.

"Well, I hope that Alex and I can start our serious relationship again. I mean, it was great when it started, like, eight days ago, then it all fell apart the next day, and I haven't seen her in four days, so I hope we can put all that, death, murder, betrayal and kidnap stuff behind us and finally become a real couple." Stated Mason.

"Ya, I really hope I can accomplish my life's goal of becoming a rock climber." Said Juliet.

"You told us that already." Said James.

"Ya I still can't believe it's coming true." Said Juliet in a low and quick voice.

"Well, I'm gonna go find Kramer and get a back brace." Said James.

"Why?" Asked Juliet.

"Ha what else am I going to do?" Asked James.

"Help Mrs. Russo find the watch?" Suggested Mason.

"I'll go with ya." Said Juliet as they headed for the door.

"Okay." Said James as he left.

"Ha don't leave without me." Said Mason as he raced after them.

"Hello!" Yelled Theresa from the closet. Max then ran for the door.

Back at the mob headquarters, the mobsters had just gotten in to clock in for work. "Uh, another day of bangin'." Sighed de Havilland as he put his card in the clock.

"Ya, when we kill those Russos I am retiring to Florida in a house on a hill so high, people will pay to use my ski lift, just to deliver my mail." Stated Susan as she punched in.

"Ha you idiots, you're three hours late!" Yelled the mobster.

"No we're not!" Yelled de Havilland as Susan and him stared hard at him.

"I told you to clock in at six, and it's nine!" Yelled the mobster.

"Oh." Said Susan.

"At least there was a couple hours of common sense here, I don't see why you let these people torture me." Said Alex.

"Ha, it's hard to find people who will work for two dollars and hour, that's right, we can lower our pay scales whenever we want." Said the mobster.

"Ha, we can quit whenever we want, if we could find a job that pays as much as this." Said de Havilland.

"Ya, I only get a couple of pennies for dancing on the street, that doesn't even cover the cost of the hat I put on the sidewalk." Stated Susan.

"Alright, can we all stop talking about how unfair our lives are!" Demanded the mobster.

"Ha, I didn't get to talk about how unfair my life is, like how, like, well my house doesn't have good ventilation, so it's kinda cold this time of season, and the landlord always asks for the rent a day too early, that's pretty frustrating, and, uh..." Mumbled de Havilland.

"Stop!" Yelled the mobster.

"Thank you." Said de Havilland as he sat in a chair and it broke. "Ah!"

"I don't believe this, we have been at this for four days, and Jerry Russo hasn't even sent one of his drones to spy on our operation, why is this so difficult?" Demanded the mobster.

"I told you, he probably has no idea where I am, or that somebody's kidnapped me, he hasn't dealt with anybody from your stupid mob since that card game, twelve days ago! Why would he relate my absence to this mob at all?" Asked Alex angrily.

"I guess she's right, but I will not take that chance, that if we go to Jerry Russo's house, that he might have an entire army ready to kill us, but ya, this isn't really working is it?" Asked the mobster.

"No, but what do we do?" Asked Susan. "I mean, we have no way of luring him in unless we get closer, and from the calculations we did last night it would prove fatal if we got even an inch closer to Jerry Russo's house, so I don't have any ideas."

"Why are you so worthless, at least I put gas in the car once, on your debit card, but at least I took the time to do it." Stated de Havilland.

"No you didn't, you put gas in your car, so we had no car to drive to the restaurant we wanted to shoot up, and we had to carry our heavy guns, for seven miles!" Yelled the mobster.

"This seems pretty personal, maybe I should leave while you work this out." Said Alex.

"Ya, maybe, wait, no, we are not losing another one like this, let's all agree that we are all equally important, and get back to the task at hand." Said Susan.

"Agreed, so who has any ideas?" Asked de Havilland.

"Uh..." Started Susan.

"No, no more of this, we have wasted enough time, I'm going home to think this over, you stay here, and by tonight, I will have an idea on how to capture Jerry Russo, so don't move!" Yelled the mobster as he stormed out.

"Alright, so what do we do until he comes back?" Asked Susan.

"We can play hide and seek." Suggested Alex in a sickly sweet voice.

"Great idea, I'll hide, and you seek!" Yelled de Havilland.

"Okay, go hide, one, two..." Counted Alex as de Havilland ran away.

"Well, got rid of him." Said Susan proudly.

"Bet you can't hide longer than him." Challenged Alex.

"Bet I can!" Yelled Susan as she ran off.

"Idiots." Said Alex as she pulled out a nail file and tried to get past the rope and file her nails. "Uh, uh, come on!"

At the house, Theresa was looking through the under of the stairs for the watch. "She was struggling to move boxes, and struggling to see through the dust. "Cu cu, uh, hello! Anybody want to help me!" She yelled. "Where is everybody?"

At the department store, Kramer was talking to a clerk about the back brace while James talked to Juliet and Mason. "So why is it he can't stand all day?" Asked James.

"It's a long story, don't want to bore you with the details." Said Mason.

"Sounds pretty good to me." Said James.

"Okay, James, we've waited long enough, and I think it's time we told you, that, that, uh.." Started Juliet.

"We told him that already!" Yelled Mason. "Just forget it, with the stress of this back brace thing I don't think any of us can handle any more pressure, so let's just deal with this first, where's Kramer?"

"Ha, I saw this back brace first!" Yelled Kramer as he pulled on the brace with another man.

"No I saw it first, let go!" Yelled the man as he pulled the brace.

"You don't need it!" Yelled Kramer.

"Ya I do!" Insisted the man.

"Did you do something wrong and can't sit for the rest of the day too?" Asked Mason.

"No I fell off my roof while I was doing some tarring, I need this to re-adjust my spine." Answered the man.

"Oh." Said Mason.

"Give it to me!" Yelled Kramer.

"No!" Yelled the man as they pulled on the brace.

"Let's go get the manager to arrest them." Suggested Juliet.

"Agreed, come on Mason." Said James.

"Alright, ha, you better not sit while I'm gone!" Yelled Mason.

"I won't!" Yelled Kramer.

"Good." Said Mason as he pushed up the collar on his jacket.

"Ha, I've been looking all over for you guys." Said Max. "Let's get that back brace."

"Forget it, gonna get the manager." Said Juliet as she pushed past him.

"Follow us." Said James as they walked out of the store.

"Okay." Said Max as he followed them.

At the mob headquarters, Alex was sitting in the chair while de Havilland and Susan were yelling at each other. "Ha, do you think she's coming?" Asked Susan.

"Shh!" Yelled de Havilland.

"Uh, this is awful, where are they? I mean, they'll probably die if they come here, but it usually never takes them this long to come, what if something's wrong?" Alex asked herself. "I hope that mobster guy doesn't come up with anything that could hurt me, like he could actually think, ha ha, oh." Groaned Alex as she leaned back in the chair and it fell over.

"Ha ha!" Laughed Susan from far off.

"Shh!" Yelled de Havilland.

At the house, there was a knock at the door. "Uh, who could that be?" Asked Theresa as she came from under the stairs and went for the door. She opened it, and it was Kramer, all beaten up, and a police officer. "Officer?"

"We caught this man fighting another man over a back brace, we were able to separate them in time, but I'm afraid the back brace is destroyed. He claimed this was where he lived, so we'll let you deal with him." Said the officer.

"Alright, thank you officer." Said Theresa.

"Thanks Theresa." Said Kramer as he walked into the house clutching his back.

"He's not my husband, he's just hiding here because he and my husband are wanted by the mob for having a card game." Said Theresa quietly.

"I figured, well have a nice day. Oh, you owe us fourteen dollars for that back brace." Stated the officer.

"It's coming in the mail." Said Theresa.

"Good, see ya." Said the officer as he left.

"Moron." Said Theresa as she closed the door.

The door was immediately opened and James, Juliet and Mason walked in. "Ha." Said Mason.

"The officer brought us here." Said Juliet.

"Well then who drove the car?" Asked Theresa in a frustrated voice.

"Damn!" Yelled James as he sat on the couch with his face in his hand.

"Lucky." Said Kramer.

"Well I have had no luck in finding that stupid watch, there are just too many boxes, and dust in there, I really need some help." Said Theresa.

"Eh, I don't know." Said Juliet.

"Either this or you tell James." Whispered Mason.

"Okay I'm in." Said Juliet as she got up and went for the stairs.

"I'll go to, because everything else is just confusing me." Said James as he left for the stairs too.

"I'm gonna get to work on a back brace." Said Mason as he grabbed some fabric and some needles and headed for the sewing machine.

There was then a knock at the door. Theresa went to answer it. It was Max. "Hu hu, I went to the bathroom and they left without me." Said Max in tears. Theresa hugged him and handed him a tissue. "Thanks."

At the headquarters, de Havilland was sitting in a dark closet, he had some fabric, and was knitting with some needles. Susan called from across the warehouse. "Ha, what are you doing?" She asked.

"Knitting a back brace, my dad needs one and they were all sold out last night." He answered.

"Ha, my mom needs one, knit me one." Said Susan from another closet.

"Why's she need one?" Asked de Havilland.

"Fell off the roof while doing some tarring." Responded Susan.

"Ah." Said de Havilland as he went on sewing.

At the house in Mason and Max's room, Mason was lying in his bed throwing a football up and down while Max just laid in his bed on the left of his and read something. "Max, how do you think your sister will act when I tell her that Juliet and I dated before?" Mason asked Max.

"I don't know." Answered Max.

"Well, why not, you're her brother, shouldn't you know how she acts to things like that?" Asked Mason.

"Na, she's three years older than me, she never spends time or has interest in me, I really don't know that much about her." Stated Max.

"Well, me neither, I'm not even sure if she really likes me. I mean, she never tells me her secrets, never confides things in me, and is always bossing me around. I just don't know." Said Mason.

"Ya, Alex is never outright with anyone, I never know what she's thinking, or how she feels toward me." Stated Max.

"Well I sure hope she likes me, because I really like her, I always have." Said Mason.

"Don't worry, she likes you." Assured Max.

"How do you know? I mean we've been, 'going out,' since May and she still doesn't treat me like her boyfriend, are you sure?" Asked Mason.

"I'm sure, Alex has never gone through this much with any other guy. She's never invited anybody into the house before, and no guy has gone through as many of her crazy schemes with her as you have." Said Max.

"Uh, I still don't know." Said Mason.

"Ha, I don't know much about Alex, but what I do know, is she wouldn't spend three days walking through the forest to find anybody but you." Assured Max.

"Hu, I guess you're right, thanks Max, you're a real friend." Said Mason.

"So are you. I mean, James and Alex are always with their other friends, and they're so much older, they never talk to me, but you always spend time with me, you listen to what I have to say, you're like my big brother." Said Max.

"Really, that's so sweet, well, I'd be proud to be your big brother, and you can always talk to me Max." Said Mason.

"Thanks Mason." Said Max.

That night at the mob headquarters, the mobster had just come back and he look enthused, but still nasty. "I'm back, and I have a ful, ha!" Yelled the mobster as he found Alex in the chair, lying on the floor, alone. He went over, pushed up the chair, then pushed it over.

"Ah!" Yelled Alex as she fell face first on the floor.

"Where are you dumb asses!" Demanded the mobster as he slammed his foot on the floor.

"We can't come out!" Yelled Susan from the closet.

"Shh!" Yelled de Havilland.

"Get out here!" Raged the mobster.

The two then ran out. "Sorry boss." Said de Havilland.

"You never came for us." Said Susan with a serious look on her face.

"Will you all shut up!" Demanded the mobster.

"Ha, you got yelled at." Laughed Alex.

"Oh, you won't be laughing for long, for I have just come up with the most ingenious idea to get your father and kill your family." Stated the mobster.

"What, are you going to kidnap my dad's recliner and deprive that of food too? Hu, is that what you're gonna do!" Asked Alex loudly.

"No, this is no indirect method that will be more work than it's worth." Stated the mobster.

"What, but, that's what the nameless mob of New York City is about! I, I don't kn..." Started de Havilland frantically.

"Shut up! No more of this, Jerry Russo is the greatest threat our mob has even faced, and it's long overdue that we take extraordinary measures!" Yelled the mobster.

"Oh, I love that movie, I was one of the lucky twenty people who actually saw it." Said Susan.

"So, what's your big plan?" Asked de Havilland.

"A simple kidnapping of his only daughter did not bring him here, so we have to move to a whole level, we will send the message to Jerry Russo that the nameless mob of New York City will do anything to get it's man, we'll thief, torture, and even murder." Stated the mobster.

"Alex finally looked up with a shocked look on her face. "What, murder?" Asked Alex.

"Yes, I have called the leader of our mob, and by tomorrow night, he will be here to take on the deed. Your death will be made known to your father, with a note, that his entire family will be killed, until he comes to us." Stated the mobster.

"What, are you sure you're not taking this too far?" Asked Alex nervously.

"No, it has all been set up, by this time tomorrow, you will be six feet beneath the ground, and Jerry Russo, will be on his way to his fate. Come, our work is done, be here promptly at six thirty to prepare. And you, rest up, it's a big day tomorrow, ha ha." Laughed the mobster as he left.

"Uh, oh, where are you dad, Justin, anybody?" Asked Alex desperately.

At the house that night, everybody was sitting in the living room. Theresa was drinking some tea, the others were sitting at the table or the couch. James then walked in. "Ha, I think we should start researching who might have taken Alex. I think if we go to the spot where she was kidnapped, find any kind of foot prints or DNA, then we can make some headway before the weekend, we'll find her before the week's up, I know we can." Stated James.

"That's the Justin I know, always finds a way to work around the most hopeless obstacles of life. I don't care how many times your name changes, I'll always love you." Said Juliet.

"That's so sweet, I wish Alex was here, then I could have somebody to love me." Said Mason.

"We are going to find her, sooner or later. The only important thing is that we're making progress, for now we just have to enjoy the normalness." Stated James.

"Ya, this is the first time in months that we have nothing to worry us, nothing to hold us down, and we can just be a family." Stated Theresa.

"It's nice, without all the shooting, or the yelling, or the betrayal, just like normal families." Stated Max.

"Ha, never call us that!" Yelled Kramer as he walked in. "Ha, I found a lawyer who works on contingency, I think he can get me out of this!" Stated Kramer happily. He went to sit down.

"Don't." Said Mason not even looking at him.

"Sorry." Said Kramer as he stood up.

"Ha, I finished the back brace, I think you'll really like it." Said Mason as he handed it to Kramer.

"Thanks." Said Kramer as he put it on. "Uh, this hurts my back worse, eh, at least it's slimming." Said Kramer as he walked over with it on.

Juliet and Mason began to walk towards James. "Um, James now that we don't have any worries on our minds, I think now is the best time to tell you." Said Juliet.

"Tell me what?" Asked James.

"Well..." Started Juliet.

"A while ago, before we met you or Alex, Juliet and I, well, we were friends, and, we dated." Said Mason nervously.

"What, you two?" Asked James.

"Ya, for like, three months." Said Juliet. "Sorry we didn't tell you sooner."

"That's no big deal, I know you love me, and I know Mason loves Alex, and we're al friends." Stated James.

"That's great to hear." Said Juliet as she sat on the couch and started to paint her nails.

"I'm glad this is out in the open, now we don't have any secrets, no life threatening situations, we can finally be calm." Stated Mason.

There was a knock at the door. "It's open!" Yelled Theresa from the couch.

The door knob was turned several times, then the piece of door around it broke off, the hand came through, then the door was pushed open, to reveal the doctor. "No it wasn't." Said the doctor.

"Doctor, what are you doing here?" Asked Theresa.

"Well, I was on my way to the other side of town, and decided I'd stop by here on my way, save time." Stated the doctor.

"Good idea!" Yelled Max.

"Doctor, why are you here?" Asked Juliet.

"Well, we were doing some tests, and I'm afraid your husband's situation has become critical Mrs. Russo." Stated the doctor.

"What, what does this mean?" Asked James as he got up from his seat.

"What happened?" Asked Theresa.

"We're not sure, but all we know is that now we don't have enough time to do the surgery as we thought." Said the doctor.

"What, how much time do we have?" Asked Theresa.

"Two days, Friday at the latest, I'm afraid." Stated the doctor sadly.

"What! Friday, we don't even know where Alex is." Stated Mason.

"I'm sorry, unless you find her before then, I'm afraid your husband will not survive." Said the doctor gravely. The whole family stood with shocked and hopeless looks on their faces.

 _Will Alex be able to escape the mob before their leader comes to kill her? Will the family find Alex before Friday? Will Alex be able to do the surgery in time? Will Theresa find the watch and free Justin? What will ever come of Mason if he loses Alex? You'll know if you read the other 349 days in the year in the life of the Russo's, "I've got a secret."_


	20. Chapter 20

Wizards of Waverly Place

I've got a secret

 **Part Twenty: Day Twenty**

 _It was October 21, 2010, and on the morning of this twentieth day there was nothing good to be said from any member of the Russo family, due to the shocking news that had been delivered to both groups. All of them were depressed, for they knew that within twenty-four hours it was very likely that somebody close to them, or they themselves, would be dead, and had no idea how to solve it._

It was early at the mob headquarters, just after seven o'clock, and Alex was still alone, for the others had not arrived to prepare for the arrival of their leader, who would be there that night to kill her. She was sitting, tied in the chair, thinking frantically of how she would escape, but with the nerve racking fact that there was no way, she had little success in having logical thoughts. She could only think of her family, where they might be, and how it they would soon face the same fate. "Uh, uh, where are they?" She demanded of herself. "All this time, there's always been a way out of anything like this, every time, we pull together, but without them, what do I do? He'll be here in twelve hours, they have no idea where I am, I, uh." Said Alex as she put her head down and began to sob quietly. It was then that the three came in. She quickly put her head up, her cheeks stained with tears.

"Ha, where is he, he said for us to be here at six thirty, and it's already seven." Stated de Havilland as he put his bag on the table.

"Leave it to him to be late on one of the most important days of the mob's lives, which we have both lost sleep and came in early to prepare for." Stated Susan. "Well, there she is, I assume you've been anticipating this as much as we have, I'd be thinking hard too." Stated Susan.

Alex just sat there with a look of fear on her face. "What, no slick comeback? No remark to make us look foolish?" Asked de Havilland.

"Uh, hu." Sobbed Alex, who was upset at the whole intense situation.

"There you are. I thought I told you to be here at six-thirty, it's already seven!" Yelled the mobster as he stormed into the headquarters.

"What are you complaining about? You just got here, what were we supposed to do before you got here, make sure all the filth is in place?" Asked Susan angrily.

"Very well then, well we have much to do before he arrives tonight, all of the keepsakes of the mob are on arrival in the next hour, we'll have to clean this whole place and make room for all of them, things have to be perfect for the first step in the greatest assassination this mob has ever pulled off, so no time is to be wasted!" Declared the mobster.

"I'll get a broom." Stated Susan as she went off.

"Who's stoppin' ya!" Yelled de Havilland. "I'll get one of those, uh, dirt platters."

"Pan?" Asked Susan.

"Ya, where do we keep those?" Asked de Havilland.

"Just use some old plates, and you!" Yelled the mobster as he signalled to Alex.

"Hu?" Said Alex in a shocked and upset voice as she looked up at the mobster.

"This operation needs no interruptions, so you'll be out of our way, de Havilland, dispose of her." Said the mobster.

de Havilland then took the chair which Alex was seated at the shoved it into a dark closet. "See you tonight." He said as he slammed the door.

"Uh." Groaned Alex as she jumped at the slammed door. "Uh, where are they, where are they, hu, hu." She began to sob again.

At the house, the entire family was sitting around, depressed, and all unwilling to act. Theresa was the first to speak. "I don't believe this, if we don't find Alex today Jerry is going to die, and we have no idea where she is." She said sadly.

"Ya, nothing like this has ever happened, it's never been this hopeless, at least not with something like this." Stated Mason.

"Ya, somehow, we've always found a way to get out of things like this, it's never failed." Stated James.

"I guess we've just been living under the delusion, that nothing bad can ever happen to us, and it took this to show us." Said Juliet dully.

"Mom, dad's gonna be alright, isn't he?" Asked Max sadly.

"I don't know Max, there's nothing we can do, I don't know." Said Theresa in a confused voice. Max began to sob, Theresa held him in her arms.

"Well, I guess this is it, there's nothing we can do, but there's always been something, some way to get out of situations like this, but not this fast, not this quick." Stated James.

"Well, I don't know what to say, I mean bad things have happened to us before, but never anything this life threatening, so all we can do is admit it. Admit that, Jerry's not going to make it, and try to move on." Said Theresa sadly.

"Things've never seemed this hopeless before, but I guess, when they are, you just have to admit it and face up to it." Said Juliet.

"Oh, this is all my fault, if I had never ran off, Alex never would have gone looking for me, and she'd still be here now, but she's not." Said Mason, ashamed.

"This isn't your fault, it's mine. I'm the one who gave this family to that crazy guy, if it weren't for me Mr. Russo never would have gotten hurt, I never meant for this to happen." Said Juliet.

"Look, this isn't anybody's fault, it's just, one of those things that happens, that nobody expects, and that nobody can do anything about." Said Theresa.

"I'm really going to miss him, I wish there was something I could do. I mean he was my dad, for almost eighteen years, and I was his son, and I never did anything to thank him, never bo..." Started James as he began to cry.

Juliet put her arm around him. "Justin, you were a great son to him, and you've done so much for all of us, don't be so hard on yourself." She comforted.

"Alright, hu, it's just, he's one of those people who you think will be around forever, and then this, uh, it's so hard to think about." Said James.

"I know, if we could only find Alex, only knew where she was, then we could bring her back, do the surgery and save Mr. Russo, but, where could she be?" Asked Mason.

At the mob headquarters, the mob was readying the entire place for the arrival of the mob leader, while Alex was bounded in the broom closet, thinking over her life, and how it would be over soon. "Uh, I don't believe this, they'll kill me, then they'll kill dad, and mom, and, Justin and Max, hu." She said to herself as she began to cry. "It's all because of me, because I drove Mason away, and, only thought of myself, it'd be fine, if it weren't for me. They'd all be better off, I'm no help to anybody, Juliet was right, we're all selfish, especially me, it's all my fault, all of it." She said as she put her head down and cried.

"Ha! Be careful with that, that's the oldest artifact in the history of this mob, our great founder brought it with him when he came across the sea from Orlando, do you want to disgrace him!" Demanded the mobster.

"Sorry, there." Said de Havilland as he put the old tooth brush in a rinse cup, very carefully.

"You know, our leader's father was that great founder, he'll be so happy to see all the relics of his past, and he'll be so proud of his mob, and that soon the greatest threat to it will be brought to his feet, all thanks to us." Stated the mobster.

"Sir, after all this is done, after all of the Russos are dead, what will become of the mob then?" Asked Susan as she put up some artificial plants and readied some candles.

"After Jerry Russo is dead, we can return to our primary goal, of expanding to be the greatest mob in the world. We'll find others, off the streets, merge other mobs, and soon be so strong and widespread that no man will stand in our way, that is what will come of our mob after all this, all of that." Responded the mobster.

"Jerry Russo has held us back for so long, I've personally wanted to meet this man ever since the news of him returned to this headquarter, who could present such a threat to our great mob. It will be a pleasure to watch him die at our fingers." Stated de Havilland.

"In time, we will, but now we must look to the present, to tonight, when we watch Jerry Russo's only daughter die at the hand of our great leader, which will lead Jerry Russo right into our hands. And think, none of this would ever have happened if not for your help in capturing Alex Russo, you are to be commended for that, and I'm sure our great leader will be just as thankful." Stated the mobster.

"Thank you, sir. This must be especially gratifying for you. You have actually laid eyes on Jerry Russo. You were there in the great apartment raid, although it was a failure, because you didn't actually kill anybody." Stated Susan.

"Yes, that was depressing, although we help one of the other men hostage for three days, he didn't give us any information, what was his name, new, something, eh, that's all in the past, now back to work! We have much to do." Stated the mobster.

"Alright, let's do it!" Yelled de Havilland as he banged his fist on the table, and the tooth brush and rinse cup fell off, and shattered.

"No!" Yelled the mobster as he picked up the shards of glass and screamed. "Ow! Cut, somebody get me some medicine!" He yelled.

"Dumb tooth brush." Said Susan quietly.

At the house, everybody was now moving around, and seemed more upbeat. "Alright, if we don't find Alex by tonight, then it's all over, Jerry will be dead by tomorrow night." Said Juliet.

"Ya, but, it's not doing us any good just, sitting a moping about it, we have to, look to after tomorrow, and think of how we'll keep going, without him." Stated James.

"You're right. Well, one of us will have to get a job, because Mr. Russo made all of the money, so that's one of the things we'll have to do." Stated Mason.

"Okay, well I'm sure I could find a job in the Wizard World, being a full wizard, so that's covered." Said James.

"Uh, and we'll still have to think of a way to hide Kramer, I mean, who knows how long we have until the mob catches up with him." Said Juliet.

"We can do it, we've been hiding for almost two weeks now, I'm sure we can keep it up." Stated James.

"And, it's going to feel really lonely without him." Said Mason sadly.

"Ya, there's nothing we can do about that." Said Juliet as she sat down.

"Ya, Alex won't have a dad, neither will Max, and mom, she'll miss him." Stated James.

"Ya, imagine, how Alex'll feel, she's been in the captivity of some strange men for five days now, how she'll feel when we get her back, and tell her that Mr. Russo is, dead, she'll be so upset." Said Mason.

"Ya, but, we'll just have to wait, and take it as it comes." Stated James.

Theresa then walked in the room. "Ha, how's it going?" She asked sadly.

"Alright." Said Juliet.

"How's Max doing?" Asked Mason.

"A little better, it's hard for him. He's, only fourteen and his father is dying, he's taking it the worst of all of us." Said Theresa.

"Don't worry mo, Theresa, we'll do all we can, we'll help to make this work, no matter how hard it turns out to be." Stated James.

"I'm glad to hear it. All that's important, is that after this, things'll be just as normal as they were before, things don't have to change that much, even though this is such a big thing." Stated Theresa.

"It'll be alright, we'll make it work." Assured Juliet.

Kramer then walked into the room. "Ha, I was thinking, now that this whole thing with Jerry has come up, maybe I should move out, I don't want to be a burden on you all." He said as he started to leave.

"No, Kramer, you've been through just as much as the rest of us, I mean you've followed us all the way, in the good times and bad. I think Jerry would want us to keep you here, as long as possible, until things are safe, so we will." Stated Theresa.

"Thanks, and, I really appreciate all you've done for me, I mean you brought me into your home, let me stay with you, nobody's ever done anything like this for me. Thanks." Said Kramer.

"You're welcome Kramer." Said Juliet.

"And, don't worry, I'll do all I can, I'll find a job, do more around the house, do anything to help." He stated.

"That means a lot, I think we'll need all the help we can get, but we can get through this, we always have, just as long as we stick together." Stated James.

"That's right." Said Mason. The entire group put their hands on each other's shoulders.

At the warehouse, it was later that day, almost three o'clock, and the mobster was on the phone. "Really, that's great, well, we'll see you then good-bye." He said as he hung up.

"Ha, what's going on?" Asked de Havilland as he and Susan walked in.

"That was our great leader, it appears that he will be a half hour late, he had some business with a banker to handle, but he will be here promptly at eight o'clock." Said the mobster.

"Wait, half an hour, then he'd be here a..." Started Susan.

"Ya, we don't question our leader, not only is he great, he is also unquestioned, so, we have another hour to prepare, and we must not waste it!" He declared.

"Okay, let's see a movie so we won't be too tense when he comes!" Yelled de Havilland.

"Good idea. I'll bring the money." Stated the mobster.

"I got the butter." Said de Havilland.

"And I got the gun, so we can get in at senior price." Said Susan.

"Good, let's go!" Yelled the mobster as they ran for the door.

In the closet, Alex had been listening to everything that the mobsters said, and was still nervous. "Only five more hours, then he'll be here, to kill me, and pretty soon all of them, and it's all thanks to me, where could they be, they always find a way to solve these problems, Justin, he always could, and he's gonna die, because of me, hu." She began to cry again.

At the house, they were all sitting around, quietly, reading, and doing whatever loosened their tension. Max then walked down the stairs. "Ha guys." He said quietly.

"Ha, how're you doing?" Asked Juliet.

"Alright, what about you guys?" He asked.

"We're fine, don't worry Max, it's all going to fine." Said James.

"I guess. Justin, I mean, James, without dad, won't mom be really lonely?" Asked Max.

"Ya, I'm sure she will be Max, but, we're going to help her through it, and we'll help you too, we're all in this together." Stated James.

"Ya, um, do you think, I mean after dad, do you think mom's going to start, dating, other men?" Asked Max.

"Max, mom loves dad, a lot, I don't think she will for a while, and, even if she does, it'll be just to make us all a little less lonely.

"I know, it's just, without dad, and, James, you'll be, getting a job, Alex is gone, well, there won't be anybody to be with me." Said Max sadly.

"Ah, Max, don't worry, we'll be here for you." Said Juliet as she put her arm on him.

"Ya, no matter what happens, no matter what or who comes into our lives, we'll always be here for you, because we're a family." Said Mason comfortingly.

"Ya, as long as we're here, we could be moved half way across the world, but you'll never be alone." Said James.

"Thanks, that means a lot, I hope Alex is okay, and we find her soon, because, I really miss her." Stated Max.

"She'll be fine Max, we'll look all over for her, and we'll find her, it'll all be alright." Assured James.

"Thanks." Said Max as he hugged James. Juliet and Mason went in and hugged them too.

It was nearly six-thirty when the three returned back to the warehouse, and ever since they left Alex had been mourning over what she had done to her family and also her death which she knew was near. She was sitting, her head down, crying in the chair when the door to the closet was suddenly opened. "Hu?" She sighed out of shock. It was the mobster, and standing beside him were de Havilland and Susan.

"Our great leader will be here in less than two hours, and everything is perfect, you!" Yelled the mobster as he pointed at Alex.

"Uh!" Whined Alex from shock.

"She must be prepared. You two, bathe her and dress her in the ceremonial clothing, we want the best for our great leader.

"Yessir." Said Susan as she grabbed Alex, untied her, and pulled her up.

"Time is of the essence, I want this all prepared once our leader has arrived, and I am confident you will be prompt." Stated the mobster.

"We will sir, come on!" Yelled de Havilland as he pulled Alex along.

"Uh, hu." Whined Alex as she followed, her arms and legs weak, her expression confused and hopeless as she was dragged along like a little girl, thinking only of her fate which was about to come.

Later that night, it was about seven o'clock, and James was standing over an old grave. He was in Dodreick's Hollow, that home and birth place of his parents, and the grave he was looking over was Ignaceous', his fathers. He stood, looking at it, the stone, the dirt, the epitaph, and was just thinking. He picked up some flowers, and lowered them on to the dirt of the grave. "Rest in peace, Dad." He said to the stone. He laid the flowers on the dirt, and just felt the earth with his hands.

Suddenly, a wave of light came over the stone, and the worn letters on the grave changed, except now they were clear, so that one could easily read them. "Hu?" James said the himself. Magically, the grave re-writ itself, and when it was finished, James looked at the inscription and read it aloud. "Have I never met my true son, the touch of my kin to the earth of the grave to him shall reveal in the waters all that he wish to see, so by the last will and testament of his father, Ignaceous Dodreick." As James finished reading the inscription, a change came over the grave where his flower lied. The dirt began to fill with water, and the flowers sank in with it. "Hu?" James said to himself. The entire plot became a flat and still water surface. James looked over it, wondering. Suddenly, the water began to form out a picture, and it began to move. Slowly, the picture became clear, and James watched it carefully. It showed the mobster who now holds Alex at the warehouse, and with him, Susan and de Havilland, taking Alex from Mason. Although James had never seen him before, he soon realized who he was, and why he had done it. He realized that he was a member of the mob who hunted Jerry, and he had taken Alex to lure him in. "Hu?" He sighed to himself. The waters then showed the warehouse from the past day, and the mobster announcing his plans, stating that the head mobster would be there, within the hour, to take Alex's like. "What, no, that's just an hour from now, what do I do?" He asked to himself.

The water cleared, and the earth and flowers returned, neither at all wet or moved and inch by the mirror water. "Well, we gave it our best, oh well." Said Justin. As he began to leave, he noticed a small bowl by the tombstone. "Hu, what's this?" He picked it up, it was an old, dark brown bowl, and inside it contained a mysterious pink dust. "I've seen this, mental lock dust. When used it gives the owner control of the victim's mind, but what does it mean?" He asked himself.

Back at the house, it was nearly seven thirty. "Well, it's getting late, I guess we'd better turn in." Said Theresa sadly.

"We're sorry we couldn't do more Mrs. Russo." Said Juliet sadly.

"It's fine, there was nothing any of us could do, I guess Jerry isn't going to make it." She admitted sadly.

"Sorry mom." Said Max as he hugged Theresa. She comforted him in her arms.

"Guys!" Yelled James as he ran in.

"James, what's going on?" Asked Mason.

"I found out where Alex is." Stated James excitedly.

"What, how?" Asked Theresa.

"It's complicated, but she was kidnapped by the mob, the one who wants dad, and they're going to kill her, tonight." Said James frantically.

"What?" Asked Juliet.

"This is awful." Stated Mason.

"James, what do we do?" Asked Max.

"I don't know, but, okay, I was at, my dad's grave, and, I found this bowl, of mental lock dust, I think it's a sign, and I have to use it, to help Alex." Stated James.

"But how, James, you don't even know who these people are." Said Juliet.

"I don't know, but I have to try, we don't have much time, I'll be back, I promise." Said James as he started to leave.

"Um, good luck James." Said Max as he hugged him.

"Thanks Max." Said James as he hugged him. He then left the house.

At the warehouse, it was now a quarter to eight, and the mobster was looking over his watch nervously. "Uh, what is taking them?" He asked himself.

"Sir, we're ready." Said de Havilland as he walked into the main hall.

"Good, where is the hostage?" He asked.

"Right here." Said Susan, who had just finished bathing Alex. Alex was dressed in a tight, red dress, with a black corset, and looked nervous.

"Excellent, our great leader will be here within fifteen minutes, and he will be pleased with the work we have done. This is a great day for us." He stated.

"Thank you sir, and most of all, thank you." Said de Havilland as he looked menacingly at Alex.

"Uh." She groaned, afraid, and lonely.

"He will be here soon, ready the knife, make sure the table is sanitary, and make sure our hostage, is comfortable." Said the mobster in a maniacal voice.

"Hu, hu." Said Alex as she breathed, nervously and could barely keep from crying.

It was ten to eight, and James was walking down the streets of the suburbs, and was looking around, waiting. "Uh, what am I doing? How am I gonna find anybody this fast, why would this..." He spoke to himself.

At that point, he saw a man walking in a suit and tie, and he had a black top hat. James took one look at him, and realized that he was the leader of the mob, the one who was to kill Alex, and knew exactly where he was going. "Hello." Spoke the mobster. As we all know, he was Pauly, the one who had met Jerry for the first time, fifteen days ago the one who had started it all.

"Hi, you look familiar, do I know you from somewhere?" Asked James, making time.

"No, I don't believe so, well, I'm late, say, do you know the way I'm going, it's a warehouse, just out of town?" Asked Pauly.

"Uh, ya, let me check, my map." Said James. He opened his hands, which held some of the dust. Nervously, he took a deep breath, and silently, blew the dust from his hands. It followed the wind, and landed inconspicuously into Pauly's face.

"Uh, hu?" Asked Pauly in a confused voice. The magic dust had taken effect on him. "Uh, now, where was I?" He asked in a confused voice.

"Sir, I know who you are, you are the leader, of a mob that runs this town, am I right?" Asked James.

"Uh, why yes, I am, I'm on my way, to kill, Jerry Russo's only daughter." Stated Pauly, stopping every so often.

"Sir, Jerry Russo has left the state, he is headed for California to gather the rest of his mob. Sir, I assure you, if he return soon, he will kill you and the rest of your men, you don't have a fighting chance." Stated James.

"What, oh, what do I do?" Asked Pauly in a confused voice.

"Shut down your mob, Jerry Russo won't give you a second thought if you don't pose a threat to him. So, call off your men, divide your mob, and hand over his daughter to me." Demanded James in a negotiating voice.

"Okay, but, who are you?" Asked Pauly.

There was a pause. "I'm, Justin Russo, Jerry Russo's oldest son, and heir to the mob thrown. So, what do you say?" Asked James.

"Alright, I'll do it, come with me, she's at the were house, I can call them off there." Said Pauly.

"Good, let's go." Said James.

"Follow me." Said the mobster as he lead him towards the mob.

At the warehouse, it was only five minutes past eight, and all three of them were waiting, while Alex sat, nervously, not able to think, on the table she knew would be her death bed. "Oh, he's late, where could he be?" Asked Susan. It was then that Pauly walked in, with a serious look on his face. "Oh, great leader, you're here!" Proclaimed Susan.

"'Hu, uh." Groaned Alex as she barely turned her head to see him.

"Yes, but I have come bearing bad news. Jerry Russo is currently recruiting is whole mob, to come here, and destroy us." Stated Pauly.

"What?" Asked de Havilland.

"How can this be?" Asked the mobster.

"Yes, his army is in the hundreds, they will surely over power us, it is inevitable." Stated Pauly.

"Oh no oh no." Said de Havilland as he walked around in circles.

"Sir, what do we do?" Asked the mobster.

"We must shut down immediately, and return his daughter to him, then he will be called off, and our lives will be spared." Stated Pauly.

"But, how, by who?" Asked Susan.

"By me." Said James as he walked in.

"Justin?" Asked Alex, quietly, in a confused voice.

"This is Jerry Russo's oldest son, and he has told me all of this, all we have to do is disperse, return the girl, and he will tell his father to spare us, is that correct son?" Asked Pauly.

"That's right, just, give back my sister, shut down, and all this will blow over." Stated James in a relieved voice.

"Wha, alright, if the great leader says we must disperse, then we must." Said the mobster.

"Good, as of this moment, the nameless mob of New York City, is officially out of business, you are all dismissed, and Mr. Russo, you may have your sister back." Said Pauly.

"Thank you sir." Said James.

The mobsters began to depart. "What do we do now?" Asked de Havilland.

"All I've ever had is the mob, I don't even have a job." Stated Susan.

"Well, too bad for you, I'm a detective." Said de Havilland.

"No you're not, that was all a ploy." Stated the mobster.

"Oh, man." Said de Havilland. The group exited.

"Justin, you did it, you saved me, how?" Asked Alex in a timid, but relieved voice.

"It's a long story, was that Susan Lucci?" Asked James.

"Ya, Justin, what happened, is Mason okay? Did you find dad? What abou..." Started Alex.

"I'll explain on the way, we have a lot to do, and a lot you have to know." Stated James as they began to leave.

"Thanks Justin, ya know, I've never told you this, but I'm really glad I have you, you're a great brother." Stated Alex.

"Thanks Alex, come on, there's so much I have to tell you." Said James as they walked out of the warehouse.

"Alright." Said Alex as she followed him. They walked all that way home: they didn't make it back until late that night, but it was still, of this twentieth day.

 _Will the family be able to do the surgery in time? What will happen to Alex when she realizes all that has come of the family? Will Jerry make it out alive? What will happen to the family after all this? You'll know if you read the other 345 days in the year in the life of the Russo's, "I've got a secret."_


	21. Chapter 21

Wizards of Waverly Place

I've got a secret

 **Part Twenty-One: Day Twenty-One**

 _It was October 22, 2010, the twenty-first day in the year in the life of the Russo's, and everybody was definitely looking up, for now that Alex had returned to the house_ _,_ _the surgery could be done, and Jerry had a chance of surviving. Despite everything that had happened to them in the past three weeks, they all felt a feeling of assurance, and that all their troubles were coming to an end._

It was early at the house, and each person in the group was working hard in preparing to leave for the hospital. While all the others were upstairs readying, Juliet stopped Mason in the living room. "Mason, I want to talk to you." She said nervously.

"Sure, what is it?" He asked.

"Well, it's just, now that, Mr. Russo is going to be alright, and, nobody wants to hurt Alex or James, and there don't seem to be any problems that the family can't solve on their own, well, do you think we're really needed here anymore?" She asked.

"Hu, now that you mention it, I guess not. Maybe we should, leave the house, I mean, I don't want to burden them, after all they've done." Stated Mason.

"Ya, I mean, the only reason we moved in here was to help James, and now that he doesn't need our help, there's just no reason for us to stay here." Stated Juliet.

"You're right, we should tell them today, after Mr. Russo's surgery." Stated Mason.

"Ya, but wait, where are you going to go? I mean, you don't have a family, or a home, nothing." Said Juliet.

"I don't know, I'll find something, I always do." Stated Mason.

"No, I mean, we've been through a lot, I can't just let you stay on the streets after all this. There's plenty of room at my house, you can stay with me." Said Juliet in an assuring voice.

"What, I mean, we barely know each other, the only reason we came back into contact is because of Alex and James, I don't know." Said Mason.

"Ha, we knew each other for three months, we did everything for each other, and to be honest, I never stopped thinking about you." Said Juliet.

"Hu, I never stopped thinking about you either." Said Mason in a relieved voice.

"And, ever since we moved in here together, I've started thinking more and more about those good times we had, and, I just can't remember why we ever broke up." Said Juliet.

"I don't remember either, it was so long ago, uh..." Started Mason.

"I remember, it was because, your family left the town, because you were hunted by the Wizard Council, so we decided staying together wouldn't be fair to either of us." Stated Juliet.

"That's right, we didn't break up, we were just, apart." Said Mason.

"We're together now." Said Juliet as she moved closer to him.

"I guess we are, but, I'm seeing Alex, and, I really care about her." Said Mason.

"Ya, and, I'm with James, and he really likes me. I should never have brought it up." Said Juliet as she began to leave.

"No, it's nice to know, that we're there for each other, and that if anything ever, happens, that we're here for each other." Said Mason.

"You're right, I'm glad of it too, but, Alex and James don't have to know about this, do they?" Asked Juliet.

"No, I guess not." Said Mason.

"Guess not about what?" Asked Theresa as she walked in.

"Nothing, just, nothing." Said Juliet nervously.

"Okay." Said Theresa as she walked on.

"Alright, I think we're almost ready, ha honey." Said James as he kissed Juliet.

"Ya, hi, honey." Said Juliet as she hugged him, uneasily.

"James, I'm so glad that your dad is going to be okay, and it's all thanks to you." Said Mason.

"Thanks Mason, but we could never have gotten through any of this without you two, so, thanks a lot for staying with us all this time." Said James.

"Ya, uh, James, we were thinking, I mean, things here seem like they're getting better, and well, it seems like you guys can handle things on your own now, so, Mason and I were thinking about moving out." Said Juliet.

"What, why?" Asked Theresa.

"Well, we moved here to help you with Ray, and, all those other things, and, now that it's all taken care of, I don't think it'd do any good if we stayed here." Said Mason.

"Now, listen, you and Juliet have been here through all of this, and, you've contributed so much to our family, well, we consider you our family, just as much as anybody else here. So, if you want to stay, you can stay." Said Theresa.

"Okay, thanks, Mrs. Russo." Said Mason.

"We're really glad you want us to stay here, I mean, you're a great family, and I hope we can be with you as long as possible." Said Juliet.

"Glad to hear it, hurry up." Said Theresa.

"So, looks like we're staying here." Said Juliet.

"Ya, looks like it." Said Mason.

They looked forward, away from each other. "Fu!" They sighed.

"Okay, you had me get up early, after sleeping in a chair for five days, are we going to do this or what?" Asked Alex in a frustrated voice.

"Ya, we're leaving, Max, come on!" Yelled Theresa.

"Alright, I'm coming." Said Max as he ran down the stairs. "Alex, I'm really glad you're back."

"Ya whatever, so, Mason, are we still, I mean, together, like you said we were?" Asked Alex.

"Uh, sure Alex, why not?" Asked Mason.

"Thanks Mason." Said Alex as she kissed him.

"Alright, let's get to the hospital." Said Theresa as she headed out the door.

"Uh, I never got to thank you, for, coming, and getting me out of that were house, I mean, if it weren't for you, I'd be dead now." Said Alex to James.

"No problem Alex, I'd do anything for you." Said James.

"Um, I know you told me, but, I'm still going to think of you as my brother, I mean, you've done so much for me, and, no matter what some tests say, I still care about you." Said Alex.

"Thanks Alex, let's go." Said James as he and Alex headed out for the car.

"Well, we'd better get going." Said Mason.

"Ya, come on." Said Juliet. She then kissed Mason, quickly, and out of nowhere. "Ah." Said the two as they stared into each other's eyes. They looked and saw Max was still there. "You didn't just see that!" Yelled Juliet.

"Okay." Said Max as he ran out the door.

In the car to the hospital, Theresa was driving, and Alex was asking a lot of questions. "So, since I left, Ju-James, your mob is off, you're not messing with that movie anymore?" Asked Alex.

"No, after we met them when they kidnapped Dad, they agreed to improve on their movie. I agreed to call off the mob to save Dad." Stated James.

"And Ray, he never came back, not after what I told him?" She asked.

"No, since we got back to the house from saving dad and escaping that crazy murder guy he's never come back, I guess whatever you told him was convincing." Stated Juliet.

"No not really, that guy was an idiot." Said Alex. "So, you found out that Justin isn't really Justin, or your son?" Asked Alex.

"That's right." Said Theresa.

"Some outside magical force caused you to give birth to Ju-James, and your real son is still out there, but you can't find where, right?" Asked Alex.

"That's what Aslam said." Said Theresa.

"So, now that you know you're an only child, you became a full wizard, and your father is that, Ignaceous Dodreick, the famous wizard?" Asked Alex.

"That's right." Said James.

"And, you said, that his grave showed a vision of the mobsters kidnapping me, and gave some sort of magic dust to take their minds?" Asked Alex.

"That's what he told us." Said Max.

"Alright, so, I need to do a surgery, to give dad, part of my brain, and people only need half of it to survive, and he lost both halves in that torture chamber?" Asked Alex.

"Ya, that's pretty much it." Said Juliet.

"Well, why me, why couldn't Max do it?" Asked Alex.

"Because he's too young, the doctor said that a transplant from somebody under fifteen would only make his condition worse, that's why we needed to find you." Said Mason.

"Wow, I was just thinking, that, everybody would be better off without me, but, knowing this, I guess I'm worth something after all." Said Alex.

"Yes you are Alex, everybody has some use to them." Stated Theresa.

"Except for Max, he's no good for anything." Said Alex.

"Ha, I was there, at the studio, the torture chamber, I'm good for things." Said Max.

"Whatever, uh, just come back from that stupid mob were house and right away I have to do some surgery, how long are things like this going to go on?" She asked.

"Not for much longer, once this surgery is done, dad's okay, then there won't be any problems, and we can all get on with our lives." Stated James.

"Alright, well, all things considered, it is nice to be back. This, family may not be perfect, but being together is much better than on my own." Said Alex.

"Thanks Alex, we're here, come on." Said Theresa as they all left the car.

In the hospital, they were all sitting around, waiting for the doctor to bring Alex in. "Mason, when do you think we should tell her?" Asked Juliet.

"What, about, the kiss?" Asked Mason.

"No, about, us dating all that time ago? When should we tell her?" Asked Juliet.

"Well, I don't think any time soon, I mean, this surgery is going to be hard on her, and, I don't think it's that dire that she knows." Said Mason.

"You're right, we should, just wait, and, when the time is right, then we can tell her." Said Juliet.

"Sounds good to me." Said Mason.

"And, about the kiss, well, nobody has to know about that, it can be, our little secret." Said Juliet quietly.

"Alright, the doctor said Alex would be out soon to do the surgery, so, we have to stay calm and supportive." Said James in a frantic voice as he walked in.

"Alright, calm down, I'm sure everything will go fine." Said Theresa. "I mean, things don't always go so smoothly for us, but the doctor said the chance of failure is very slim, so, just stay calm."

"Okay." Said James as he sat down next to Max. "Hu." Sighed the two.

"James, Max, don't worry, I'm sure Alex and Mr. Russo will be fine, and, if anything goes wrong, we'll be here to help, we always will." Said Mason.

"That's right, the two of us." Said Juliet.

"Great, it's nice to know, you're here for us, because, we'll always be there for you." Said Max.

"Ya, thanks." Said Juliet. The two went back to their seat, nervous.

"Alright, the surgeon will be back soon to bring you in to the operating room." Said the doctor as he wheeled Alex, on a gurney, into the waiting room.

"Alright." Said Alex.

"Alex, thank you so much for doing this, and remember, whatever happens, I love you." Said Theresa.

"Thanks mom, don't worry, I'll be fine." Assured Alex.

"Ya, Alex, good luck, we're here for you." Said Juliet.

"If anything goes wrong, we'll be here, but don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine." Said Mason.

"Thanks guys, Mason, if, I don't make it out alright, I want you to know, I really care about you, I always have, even though I may not show it all the time." Said Alex.

"Thanks Alex, and, I really care about you too, good luck." Said Mason as he kissed her.

"Thanks." Said Alex.

"Alex, thanks for doing this, you, have no idea how much it means to all of us, and, I know, what they've all said, but, I still love you as a sister, I wouldn't want anybody besides you." Stated James.

"Thanks, and, you've been a great brother too, it's been a great sixteen years, and, I love you." Said Alex.

"I love you." Said James as he hugged Alex.

Max walked over to her, slowly. Alex turned to look at him. "Uh, Alex, I know, we don't talk much, and, I know it won't mean much, but, I love you, and I really hope you'll be okay, 'cause I love you, really missed you. I love you, Alex." Said Max tentatively.

There was a pause. "I love you too Max." They hugged each other. "And, maybe we don't spend that much time together, but, don't worry, I'll try to be a better sister, 'cause, you're a great little brother." Said Alex sweetly.

"Thanks, Alex, I… thanks." Said Max as he hugged her again.

"Ms. Russo, we're ready." Said the doctor.

"Good luck, Alex." Said Theresa.

"Thanks, bye guys." Said Alex as the doctor wheeled her into the operating room.

"Bye, Alex, good luck." Said everybody.

"Come on, let's go." Said Theresa as she headed for the car. The rest followed.

"Yep, no matter what, we'll be here, the two of us." Said Mason.

"Together." Said Juliet. The two hugged each other.

"Come on!" Yelled Theresa.

"Coming." Said Juliet. She took Mason's hand, and they walked off, together.

It was later, three o'clock p.m, and the house, James was sitting just on the inside of the terrace, and Theresa walked up to him. "Ha." Said James.

"Hi." Said Theresa.

"I can't believe it all worked out, Dad's gonna be okay, and for once, we don't have any worries." Said James.

"I know, we can finally be a family, no matter what's happened, that's what we are, and nothing is going to change that." Said Theresa.

"That's right." Said James.

"Uh, James, I found the watch last night, I stayed up all night looking for it, and I finally got it." Said Theresa.

"Hu, thanks mom, it was, so long ago, and so much has happened that I almost forgot about it." Stated James.

"Ya, James, this watch, is, well, it's the last thing, that, we ever had, before, you know, I found out, you weren't my real son." Said Theresa.

"Ya, I guess so." Said James.

"So, when I go in today, and turn this watch into the police station, that'll be it, all that's left of Justin Russo will be gone with that watch, this is it." Said Theresa as she held up the watch.

"Well, I suppose you're right, after that." Said James.

"James, all I could think of, for the past three weeks, was having some purpose in my life, well, I think I found it. A purpose, isn't just one thing, it should be, doing at least one good thing for each person, and, I guess this is mine, for you, or, the old you. James, this is my purpose, you helped me realize that, thank you." Said Theresa.

"Thanks mom, and, even after this is over, I'll still think of you as my mom, because, you've always been there for me, especially now." Said James.

"Thank you James." Said Theresa.

"And, I'm gonna be there for you too. You did this for me, and, I'm going to help you, I'm going to, help you find your real son. He's out there, somewhere, it won't be easy, but, I'll do it, for you, for dad, Alex, and Max, you all deserve to know him, I'll help you." Said James.

"Thanks James, we'll be right there beside, you, we'll find him. Because, when all of us stick together, we can do just about anything." Said Theresa.

"Thanks mom." Said James as he hugged her.

"Ha, how's it going?" Asked Max.

"Alright, just fine." Said James.

"Mom, does this mean dad's gonna be okay?" Asked Max.

"Yes Max, I think he'll be just fine." Said Theresa.

"Good." Said Max. Theresa hugged him, and James joined in.

"Juliet and Mason looked in from the stair case. "They look so happy." Said Juliet.

"They should be, after all this time, things are finally going their way, it's a great thing." Said Mason.

"So, when should we tell them about us?" Asked Juliet.

"I don't see any rush, until, we break up with James and Alex, this can be our own secret, and, when that time comes, we can be together again, only this time, there won't be anything to stop us." Said Mason.

"Ya, when it comes, but until then, we have to keep it shut up. Finally, there's nothing wrong in this house, and, we realize, we're meant to be with each other, and not them, and we can't do anything about it, why can't things ever be easy for us?" Asked Juliet.

"Well, we're one of them, for now, and, until the day we move out, we always will be, so things won't be easy. We'll just have to, stay strong, get through it, and, remember, we're here, together." Said Mason.

"I know, we'll remember." Said Juliet. Her and Mason kissed again.

Later that day, at the police station, and officer was sitting at his desk, reading a book when the door was opened into the main hall. He looked up, and it was Theresa. She walked up to his desk, and dropped the golden watch on the table. He recognized it as the million dollar watch, that had been stolen, ten days ago. He looked up at her in confusion. "Uh..." He started to ask her, but she just turned her back and left. He just sat there, in deep confusion.

"Hu." Sighed Theresa as she left the station, with a look of tiredness, but also of relief.

It was seven o'clock that night, and everybody was sitting around as usual, reading or doing whatever. They were all at peace, and Kramer walked in, carrying a single duffel bag. "Well, it's been a great time, but, I think it's time for me to go." Said Kramer.

"Are you sure you have to go?" Asked Juliet.

"Ya, the mob's gone, I don't have anything to worry about." Said Kramer.

"Well, you don't have to go, you could stay here, if you want." Suggested Theresa.

"Na, I gotta get back, to my apartment, Jerry'll miss me, so will George, Elaine, it's where I belong, but being here was great, it's just, time for me to go." Said Kramer.

"Okay, if you say so." Said James.

"It's been a pleasure Mr. Kramer." Said Mason as they shook hands. "I hope we'll meet again."

"I'm sure we will, uh, I still never got your name." Said Kramer.

"That's alright." Said Mason.

"By Kramer." Said Max as he shook his hand.

"See ya, Max, I'll never forget all the good times we had, the police chases, the murder attempts, all of it, I'll miss you." Said Kramer.

"I'll miss you, but, are you sure you'll be able to go back to your apartment, won't somebody have rented it out?" Asked Max.

"Nope, it'll be right there waiting for me." Said Kramer. "Well, see you all."

"Bye Kramer." Said all of them.

"Oh, I lost the necklace." Said Kramer as he stopped in the doorway.

"Ah." Said the group.

"Ah, no big deal, see ya." He said as he left.

"He was a strange man." Said James.

"Ya, we're all kind of strange." Said Theresa.

The phone rang. "Hello?" Said Max. "It's the hospital."

"Hu!" Said the group.

"It's the surgeon, he says the surgery went great, and Alex and dad will be able to come home tonight." Said Max.

"Yes!" Said the group. They all went to hug each other. James kissed Juliet, and she hugged Mason.

"This is great, after all this time, things are finally at a rest." Said Mason.

"Ya, I know, this family may not always be so easy to live with, but, it's moments like this, that make you realize how great it really is, and, it makes you happy to be alive." Said Theresa.

"You're right." Said Juliet with her arm around Mason.

"To our family." Said James as he held up his glass.

"To our family." Said the group as they all put up their glasses.

 _And so, as we leave the Russo's, and this twenty-first day, three weeks to the day when it all started, we leave them with no fears, no remorse, or any doubt about the next days of their lives. After all these days of struggling, hardship and pain, things are finally at a standstill, and hopes for the future can be made. Life may not be an easy ride, but it has a way of working out, so at certain moments, there are no worries, and we realize that life's a gift, and should be cherished every minute of every day, for its gifts, it's perfection, and for its people we love so much. There doesn't seem any reason to ask questions about tomorrow, because there are times in life, when it's better not looking at tomorrow, but right now. So I guess we'd better leave off, by looking back at the past three weeks, twenty-one days, and how so much has changed. This is the end of the first chapter in the year in the life of the Russo's, but there are many more chapters. They may not all be happy, and things will happen, sad things, and at times it will be hard to keep going, but we have to be noble, and remember that no matter what happens, that life goes on. The second chapter of this year begins with the twenty second day, and I hope you will join us for this bright, hopeful second chapter, and for all the other chapters, in the year in the life of the Russo's, "I've got a Secret."_


End file.
